A Placed-based Model for Internet Topology

Modeling the topology of a large network, or a collection of networks such as the Internet, is difficult because of the network’s huge size, great heterogeneity, and rapid change. Traditional models for Internet topology do not satisfactorily reflect the reliability of a real network. In this paper, we introduce α-reliability as a new metric to characterize and evaluate the reliability of a network. We propose an efficient method for generating a network topology not only with basic properties such as multilevel hierarchy, autonomous system, lower average degree and controllable diameter, but also with controllable α-reliability, which can satisfy the reliability requirements in a real network. Since our method is based on the place of nodes, its generated networks are visually validated to be closer to real networks than those generated by traditional models. Index Terms --Internet topology, network modeling, reliability, connectivity, backbone.