What is defined as the measurement of the actual data amount transferred between two network points over time?

Throughput is defined as the measurement of the actual data amount transferred between two network points over time. It reflects the real-world performance of a network and takes into account factors such as congestion, protocol overhead, and latency. Unlike bandwidth, which refers to the theoretical maximum capacity of a network link, throughput represents what is effectively achieved in a given period. Measuring throughput helps in understanding the efficiency and capacity of data transmission in practical scenarios.

In contrast, bandwidth is a potential metric that indicates how much data can be handled by a network link but does not account for real-time performance conditions. Volume and saturation do not accurately reflect the measurement of data transfer over time; volume might refer to the total amount of data, while saturation pertains to a state where the network is fully utilized. Thus, throughput provides the most precise assessment of data flow in network communications.