Inferring subnets in router-level topology collection studies

Abstract

Internet measurement studies require availability of representative topology maps. Depending on the map resolution (e.g., autonomous system level or router level), the procedure of collecting and processing an Internet topology map involves different tasks. In this paper, we present a new task, i.e., subnet inference, to advance the current state of the art in topology collection studies. Utilizing a technique to infer the subnet relations among the routers in the resulting topology map, we identify IP addresses that are connected over the same connection medium. We believe that the successful inclusion of subnet relations among the routers will yield topology maps that are closer, at the network layer, to the sampled segments of the Internet in router level topology measurement studies.