Reference

Stress-testing glossary

Plain-English definitions for the terms you'll meet across methods, chains and the API. Each term has its own page.

The ratio between the size of a reflected response and the request that triggered it. A x50 BAF means 1 byte of query yields 50 bytes at the target.

A Layer-4 attack that sends many TCP SYN packets without completing the handshake, exhausting the server's connection backlog.

Spoofing the victim's address as the source of requests to a third-party server, which then sends responses to the victim.

The OSI transport layer (TCP/UDP). L4 stress tests target bandwidth, packet rate and connection state.

The OSI application layer (HTTP/TLS). L7 tests exercise request handling, WAF logic and origin capacity.

A packet-capture file format. RETRO//STRESS can import a PCAP and convert real traffic into a replayable .chain.

An ordered sequence of TCP/UDP/ICMP steps with per-step flags, payloads and delays, in an open v1.3 text format.

A measure of packet rate rather than raw bandwidth. Small-packet floods stress PPS limits on routers and NICs.