A Survey on Faults and Vulnerabilities in Network Topological Connectivity: Logical and Physical Perspectives

Abstract

Topological connectivity is essential in networked environments, as it enables the efficient exchange of information between distributed devices and increases service reliability. The devices’ interconnection with different characteristics allows the formation of networks that function as infrastructures, facilitating the provision of multiple services essential to social well-being. In critical scenarios such as disasters, ensuring connectivity is vital for the effective transmission of crucial data, such as security and public transport notifications. This survey highlights the importance of resilient topological connectivity, which maintains communication among network nodes despite faults or disruptions. First, we explore the challenges posed by vulnerabilities and faults, whether benign or malicious, physical or logical, that may disrupt the topology, resulting in problems such as packet loss, transmission delays, and reduced service availability. Then, we review the literature to identify the main faults and solutions developed to provide resilience to topological connectivity in different network scenarios, such as IoT, WSN, and TSN. Solutions are categorized with a focus on strategies such as resistance, recovery, adaptation, absorption, both active and reactive, offering a comprehensive understanding of how to strengthen topology performance and availability.