Crowdsourcing physical network topology mapping with net.Tagger
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Authors
Woodman, Daniel Glenn
Subjects
Internet
network mapping
physical network topology
Internet backbone
crowdsourcing
network mapping
physical network topology
Internet backbone
crowdsourcing
Advisors
Beverly, Robert
Date of Issue
2016-03
Date
Mar-16
Publisher
Monterey, California: Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
Despite significant research, the challenge of mapping the physical topology of large networks remains a relatively unsolved problem. Although it possesses numerous ramifications for Internet security and resiliency, physical network geolocation research has not matched corresponding advancements made in logical topology mapping. This thesis proposes net.Tagger: a novel approach to network infrastructure mapping that combines smartphone apps with crowdsourced collection to gather data for offline aggregation and analysis. The project aims to build a map of physical network infrastructure such as fiber-optic cables, facilities, and access points. The net.Tagger project aligns to the OpenStreetMap project, a proven, open-source framework for managing crowdsourced map data. This thesis delivers a working proof-of-concept system for further research, including a smartphone app for gathering physical topology data, and the backend services to process and store it. We also present the results of an initial release to 25 users, analysing collection trends and extrapolating to predict potential findings of a future large-scale release.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
Department
Computer Science
Computer Science
Organization
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Format
Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.