Internet topology modeler based on map sampling

Abstract

Creating a network topology is the first step in building a scenario for a network protocol simulation. The simulation results usually depend on the topology layout, especially for routing and multicasting protocols. Therefore the topology used should be generated with the highest possible accuracy. In particular, protocols designed for the Internet should be simulated over Internet-like topologies. Many topology generators currently exist but the discovery of power laws in the Internet has brought new constraints upon the generated topologies. We introduce a flexible novel way to create Internet-like topologies. It is based on an algorithm that performs a sampling on a measured Internet map. The created topologies accurately comply with the newly found power laws as well as other more common topology properties such as the average path length.