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Looking Over the Fence at Networks A Neighbor's View of Networking Research (2001) / Chapter Skim
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2. Measuring: Understanding the Internet Artifact
Pages 3-6

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From page 3...
... Citing the heavy dependence of our knowledge and understanding of global climate change on a record of atmospheric carbon dioxide measurements that Charles David Keeling started on Mauna Loa in 1957, workshop participant Jeff Dozier observed that "good data outlives bad theory."2 Hence a data set with typical days from the next 10 years ofthe Internet might be a treasure chest for networking researchers just as the carbon dioxide record has been to earth scientists. Also, outsiders at the workshop observed that in other areas of computer science, older versions of artifacts—old microprocessors, operating systems, and the like—are important as bases for trend analysis and before/after comparisons of the impacts of new approaches.3 Archived Intent snapshots could provide an analogous baseline for evaluating the large-scale impact of both evolutionary and revolutionary changes in the Internet.
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From page 4...
... One way to cope with this impediment is the use of inference techniques Hat allow one to learn more about a network based 4For further discussion of these design issues, see Computer Science and Telecommunications Board, National Research Council.
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From page 5...
... To provide widespread vantage points for measuring network activity, even a minimal infrastructure will comprise hundreds of measurement devices. There is some hope that advances in remote management technologies will support this need, and lessons Tom several currently deployed pilot measurement projects could aid in the design of any such system.
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From page 6...
... Attention must therefore be paid to developing techniques that limit disclosure of confidential infonnation while still providing sufficient access to information about the network to enable research problems to be tackled. ~ some circumstances, these limitations may prevent the export of raw measurement data—provoking the need to develop configurable "reduction agents" Mat can remotely analyze data and return results that do not reveal sensitive details.
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Key Terms

  • networking community
  • network traffic
  • dioxide record
  • measurement program
  • internet traffic

  • internet service
  • sample traffic
  • bad theory
  • network topology
  • highly loaded

  • statistical issues
  • geographically distributed
  • famous data
  • treasure chest
  • measuring internet

  • earth sciences
  • enable research
  • mauna loa
  • analogous intergroup
  • deployed pilot

  • modeling issues
  • anonymization techniques
  • sample network
  • challenge posed
  • expose design

  • significant challenge
  • complex software
  • deeper understanding
  • infrastructure available
  • internet research


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