Internet Performance Measurement and AnalysisThe pioneering Internet Performance Measurement and Analysis (IPMA) project, a joint effort of the U-M Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Merit Network, helped lay the foundation for data collection and statistical analysis in the Internet. The three-year project was launched by a a $1.6 million award from the National Science Foundation, following NSF's recommendation that Merit pursue statistical research and tool development separately from the Routing Arbiter activity.The IPMA project focused on two primary areas of Internet statistics: routing stability, topology, and visualization; and ISP performance measurements. The overall goal of the project was to develop tools and perform statistical research that promote the stability and rational growth of the Internet. The IPMA tools were easily configurable, so that users could quickly generate exactly the kinds of network performance data they need. The IPMA project worksed closely with the Cooperative Association for Internet Data Analysis (CAIDA) and the National Laboratory for Applied Network Research (NLANR) to create a shared measurement infrastructure for the U.S. Internet. Hewlett-Packard and Intel Corporation also funded portions of the project. One of the major outcomes of the project was a study of the backbone routing information at the major U.S. public Internet exchange points. IPMA staff discovered several unexpected trends in routing instability, and examined a number of anomalies and pathologies observed in the exchange of inter-domain routing information. The researchers showed that the volume of routing updates was several orders of magnitude more than expected, and the majority of this routing information was shown to be erroneous. Furthermore, the analysis revealed several unexpected trends and ill-behaved systematic properties in Internet routing. |