Experience in measuring internet backbone traffic variability: Models metrics measurements and meaning

Abstract

This paper introduces a metric for measuring backbone traffic variability that is grounded on simple but powerful traffic theory. What sets this metric apart, however, is that we present a method for practical implementation of the metric using widely available SNMP traffic measurements. In addition to simulations, we use a large set of SNMP data from an operational IP network on the order of 1000 nodes to test our methods. We also delve into the degree and sources of variability in real backbone traffic, providing insight into the true nature of traffic variability.