Merge Those Metrics : Towards Holistic (Protocol) Logging

Abstract

In this position paper for the IAB workshop on "Measur-ing Network Quality for End-Users", we observe that there is an apparent threefold split in how we currently log and analyze metrics for different protocol layers and the business logic running on top. We opine that this split makes it more challenging to answer some of the questions the workshop posited, as it makes metrics and behaviours at lower layers harder to correlate with higher layer Quality of Experience indicators. We motivate that a possible solution to this issue is to move towards a consolidated cross-layer and cross-vantage point logging approach that can provide a more holistic view of a system's behaviour that can then be analyzed with specialized tools. To kickstart discussion, we debate recent efforts in this direction and highlight several ensuing opportunities and potential practical challenges.