Visualization of Autonomous Systems (AS) inter-connections between Internet
eXchange points (IX) in 2002.
- AS layer
Each horizontal line represents an AS. (AS labels are provided in a
larger scale image). Vertical lines connecting the AS lines and the
IX bars in the layer below show the presence of a given AS at a
given IX. ASes that are present at only one IX and do not provide
any inter-IX connections are omitted from the visualization.
Vertically, AS lines are grouped by the number of continents they
connect. Those nearest to the IX layer connect IXes within a
single continent. These intra-continental AS lines are colored
by the color of a corresponding continent. Lines depicting ASes
providing inter-continental connections are white. The more
continents they connect (up to 4) the higher is their position
in the image.
- IX layer
Each bar represents an IX. The length of a bar is proportional
to the number of ASes present at this IX (and connecting it to
at least one other IX). IXes are ordered on the x axis by their
longitude. When space allows, IX labels are written on their
corresponding bars. Otherwise, IX labels are placed below their
corresponding bar, in the label layer.
- Label layers
This layer provides additional space for IX labels.
- Continent layers
Continent bars are sorted on the y axis by their longitude.
Horizontally, a bar spans all IXes found in a corresponding
continent.
This visualization is based on the data gathered by CAIDA Macroscopic
Topology Project. Our
skitter tool [1]
collected forward IP paths between
skitter monitor hosts and a large number of target destinations. Among IP
addresses seen in these paths we identified addresses belonging to IXes
using the
IX database
maintained by
Packet Clearing House [2]. For all
remaining IP addresses we determined their origin ASes using
BGP tables [3]
from
Route Views [4].
The image shows all links between IXes and ASes we
found in skitter traces during the period from 2002/10/01 to 2002/10/07
click to enlarge
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[1]
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CAIDA's skitter tool
https://www.caida.org/catalog/software/skitter
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[2]
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Packet Clearing House's Internet eXchange point data base
https://www.pch.net/ixp/data
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[3]
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K. Lougheed and Y. Rekhter.,
RFC 1106, "Border Gateway Protocol (BGP)"
http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1106.txt
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[4]
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Meyer, D. University of Oregon Route Views Project.
http://www.antc.uoregon.edu/route-views
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