visualization of computer networks by richard zschech supervisor: dr. paul coddington, dr. ken...
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Visualization ofComputer Networks
By Richard Zschech
Supervisor:
Dr. Paul Coddington,
Dr. Ken Hawick.
Motivations
Computer visualisation techniques offer the opportunity to display complicated sets of information in an easy to view and easy to understand manner.
Computer networks are by their very nature complicated.
Previous 3D Visualization Work
File System Navigator Information Cube
Overview
Development of computer network mapping and visualising program– Develop three-dimensional graph package– Network Mapping and Monitoring package– Graph layout algorithms– Interactive user interface
Final Product
Three-Dimensional Graph Package
Node 1TG
Appearance
Shape
Geometry
Node 2TG
Node NTG
Edge NTG
Edge 1TG
Appearance
Shape
Geometry
Edge 2TG
GraphTG
Issues with Java 3D
Simple to use Slow rendering of graphics
– Difficult to get feel of three-dimensions
– Difficult to interact with the graph
– Can disorient the user
Could use lower level Immediate mode rendering
Network Monitoring Module
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)– For exploring the network using routing tables– Gathering statistics– Building and updating the graph
Management Information Base (MIB)– Object Identifiers– Managed Objects
Serialisation– Abstract Syntax Notation– Basic Encoding Rules
Object Identifiers
Sequence of integers Allocated a textual
name for simplicity Organised into a
global tree of known identifiers
sysUpTime = 1.3.6.1.2.1.1.3
Example MIB Definition
sysUpTime OBJECT-TYPE SYNTAX TimeTicks ACCESS read-only STATUS mandatory DESCRIPTION "The time (in hundredths of a second) since the network management portion of the system was last re-initialized.”
::= { system 3 }
SNMP Tool
Issues With SNMP
Good for gathering fairly static information like connectivity of a network
Does not contain much support for dynamic information about network
Takes a long time to map networks
XML Graph File Example<graph id="ROOTGRAPH"> <position x="0.0" y="0.0" z="0.0"/> <graph id="chook"> <position x="0.0" y="1.0" z="104.4"/> </graph> <graph id="powerhub"> <position x="0.0" y="0.0" z="0.0"/> <node id="dizzy" scale="2.0"> <position x="0.0" y="0.0" z="31.2"/> </node> ... More nodes and edges for powerhub </graph> <edge source="powerhub" dest=“chook"/> ... More nodes and edges for ROOTGRAPH</graph>
Gathering Dynamic Information
Load)AVERAGE(ifsysLoad
ifSpeed/
ifIOPerSecifLoad
enceTimeDiffer
erenceOutputDiffrenceInputDiffeifIOPerSec
Time))/PREV(sysUppTime)(CURR(sysUenceTimeDiffer
Octets)PREV(ifOutOctets)CURR(ifOuterenceOutputDiff
ctets)PREV(ifInOctets)CURR(ifInOrenceInputDiffe
8
100
Node Information Popup Menu
Settings File-- Node Scale settingsSCALE_OBJECT_ID = "ifNumber"SCALE_MAX_VALUE = 100SCALE_MIN_VALUE = 0SCALE_MAX = 10SCALE_MIN = 3SCALE_NON_SNMP = 2
-- Statistics to gather for each nodeNODE_INFO { "Name", "sysDescr"; "Up Time", "sysUpTime"; "Total Speed", SUM("ifSpeed");}
Ring Layout
Sorting
powerhub
lerwick
mathuselah
rosemary
chook
dhpcmac
krypton
titan
colossus
powerhub
titan mathuselah powerhub chook dhpcmac
Sorted Ring Layout
Star Layout
Sorted Star Layout
Sphere Layout
Sorted Sphere Layout
Sorted Central Node Sphere
Hierarchal Layout
Conclusions
Good layouts can be achieved using hierarchical methods.
Good layouts are often application dependant.
Three-dimensional visualisation requires fast rendering and an environment that is easy to interact with.