How to model an internetwork

TLDR

Graphs are widely used to model internetwork structures, yet most existing models—regular, classic, or random—offer little insight into how closely they match real network topologies. This study aims to efficiently generate graph models that accurately reflect the topological properties of real internetworks. The authors compare properties of graphs produced by various methods with those of actual internets and propose efficient generation techniques, including a transit‑stub model that closely mirrors internet structure. Improved internetwork models can enhance the validity of simulation studies of networking solutions by providing a more accurate basis for conclusions.

Abstract

Graphs are commonly used to model the structure of internetworks, for the study of problems ranging from routing to resource reservation. A variety of graph models are found in the literature, including regular topologies such as rings or stars, "well-known" topologies such as the original ARPAnet, and randomly generated topologies. Less common is any discussion of how closely these models correlate with real network topologies. We consider the problem of efficiently generating graph models that accurately reflect the topological properties of real internetworks. We compare the properties of graphs generated using various methods with those of real internets. We also propose efficient methods for generating topologies with particular properties, including a transit-stub model that correlates well with the internet structure. Improved models for the internetwork structure have the potential to impact the significance of simulation studies of internetworking solutions, providing a basis for the validity of the conclusions.