Project Summary

Based on the success of last years URB project we would like to continue and extend our research and analysis of connectivity among autonomous systems. For 2003-2004 our research agenda would involve both analysis and visualization components. First, we would like to evaluate inter-AS connectivity based on prefixlevel granularity as well as AS granularity. We also want to develop a publically available set of tools for analyzing peering, transit, and customer relationships based on Cisco BGP output. Finally, our analysis groundwork renders us in a strong position to develop much more powerful visualization tools customized for BGP tables. Results of this research will offer not only novel and innovative visualization and mapping techniques, but also key data for any infrastructure protection center involved in warning, analysis, and coordinating emergency response to infrastructure threats. Both the PSIRT and CIAG groups within Cisco have expressed strong interest in continuation of this work and recommended the URB program as the most appropriate vehicle at this time.

Description of Research and Goals

Based on the success of last year’s URB project we would like to continue and extend the work in analysis of connectivity among autonomous systems. Last year we developed an analysis methodology for ranking the richness of connectivity of ASes based on massive topology data as measured by CAIDA’s macroscopic IP topology monitoring project and observed by RouteViews BGP table snapshots. The coverage of these topology probes is unprecedented, dramatically higher than any previous work in this area, and the data yield significant insight into the relative richness of IP connectivity of different ASes. This work has already been enthusiastically received both internally at Cisco1 and by the wider community, as there is great marketing-inspired speculation and little sound methodology regarding macroscopic Internet connectivity analysis. The interactive web page for AS ranking is at http://as-rank.caida.org/cgi-bin/main.pl and is updated with new topology data daily.

In addition to maintaining this web site for 2003-2004, this year we would like to leverage Cisco’s investment into this research area by extending the research and analyis agenda in three ways:

1. evaluate inter-AS connectivity based on prefix-level granularity as well as AS granularity
2. develop a publically available set of utilities for heuristically analyzing peering, transit, and customer relationships based on Cisco (and zebra) BGP output. Although these inferences are inherently heuristic in nature, CAIDA will build on current work in the field [7, 8, 9] to create tools for more public use by Cisco customers
3. develop a publically available visualization tool and library customized for navigating BGP tables

Results of this research will offer not only novel and innovative visualization and mapping techniques, but also key data for any infrastructure protection center involved in warning, analysis, and coordinating emergency response to threats.