Configuration Settings
In addition to the basic interface controls, various aspects of MTPexpedat's setup and network behavior can be adjusted for unusual conditions. These settings may be applied using the Options dialog, or using the DropDat master application.
In most cases, the default configuration will provide the best performance and there is no need to adjust these settings. Incorrect settings may severely degrade performance or disrupt the network. Take the time to understand what these settings do before experimenting with them.
The default values for some settings may vary, depending on a number of factors. See the Priority chapter for details.
These settings affect the behavior of the MTPexpedat client itself.
Debug <level>
Enable diagnostic messages. Level 1 will display configuration information and report additional details about network activity. Look for a section labeled "Configuration Settings" for detailed information about what options are set and where. Debug levels above 1 will produce copious output which may severely degrade performance and overflow the message box. It is best to enable a Log File when debugging is enabled.
Log File <pathname>
When a log file is specified, message box output will be copied to the file and all debug messages will be written exclusively to the file. Session logs are appended to the end of any existing data, so the file may grow quite large over time. Setting this as a default via the DropDat interface is not recommended because the pathname may not be valid on the end-user's system and the file may grow arbitrarily large.
Package Types <Suffix List>
Specifies the preferred package formats in order of priority. The server will use the first supported type. Server side packaging is not enabled by default.
Require Encryption <On or Off>
When enabled via the DropDat administrative interface, the Encryption option will be locked "On".
These settings change the default network characteristics of new transactions.
Aggression <-3 to 5>
Aggression is a scalable means of adjusting how MTPexpedat's network activity affects other network traffic.
When third party-traffic is present, increased Aggression may improve MTPexpedat's performance by slowing down the other traffic. Decreasing Aggression may reduce MTPexpedat's performance which may allow other traffic to go faster. Do not use Aggression level 5 unless your entire network supports Jumbo Ethernet Frames. See the Performance section for more information about this and other performance adjustments.
Default Server Port <UDP Port Number>
Specify the default UDP port number of the server. Use this option if many of your servers are running on a port other than the default 8080. Note that the end-user can always type a different port number in the Server field, even if the default port is locked.
Expire <seconds>
Sets how long MTPexpedat should wait without hearing from the server before it gives up and cancels a stalled transaction.
These settings restrict MTP/IP's network behavior. They may be useful to optimize performance in unusual environments or to achieve specific performance goals.
Maximum Data Rate <kilobits per second>
Do not allow data to be transferred across the network faster than this many kilobits per second. This limit applies to actual network speed: data compression may make the net transfer speed appear to be faster. Setting this to a value at or above the hardware speed of the path will have no effect. If you wish to transfer data consistently near the given limit, consider combining it with an Aggression setting of 4.
Maximum Round Trip Time <milliseconds>
Slow down if the path latency ever exceeds this many milliseconds. This setting may be used if there is latency sensitive traffic sharing the network path. Make sure this value is significantly higher than the baseline latency of the path, as measured by a ping utility when the path is idle. Remember that different servers may have very different minimum latencies.
Minimum Round Trip Time <milliseconds>
If the smallest possible latency between MTPexpedat and its server(s) is over 500ms, a small performance gain may be achieved by setting that value here. Measure baseline RTT by using an ICMP ping tool at a time when you are sure the path is idle. Enter the lowest observed RTT. This setting is rarely needed, even for latencies as high as 2000ms.
Maximum Datagram Payload <bytes>
Limit the size of network datagram payloads to no more than this amount. The full IP datagram size will be at least 56 bytes larger when MTP/UDP/IP headers are included. Any VPNs or other encapsulation mechanisms will add additional overhead. If your network is known to have problems with IP fragmentation, try setting a value of 1400 or smaller.
Noise Ratio <4 to 5000>
MTP/IP normally regards packet loss as an indication of network congestion. This option will cause MTP/IP to ignore packet losses up to a rate of one in N, for a given number N. For example, a value of 100 will cause MTP/IP to ignore a loss rate of up to 1%. This option should only be used on noisy data paths where loss is occurring due to external factors such as uncorrected bit errors. Improper use of this option may severely disrupt the network and result in a loss of performance or connectivity, especially when Aggression is elevated.
NoiseRatio is not compatible with servedat 1.11.4 or earlier and will cause the transaction to fail.