Design of Interactive Visualizations for Next-Generation Ultra-Large Communication Networks

With the increasing size and complexity of next-generation communication networks, it is critical to utilize interactive information visualization to support the network monitoring, planning, and management. Effectively visualizing large-scale networks has been considered difficult with traditional methods because of the high link density and complicated node relationship. Given the limited screen space, it is essential to explore how to present ultra-large-scale network data efficiently that can assist Internet Service Provider’s (ISP) network planning and management activities. This work proposes a design of the real-time interactive visualization system that combines the idea of progressive disclosure and multiple panels to elegantly visualize the large-scale network and avoid the information-overloaded problem. The system also visualizes the configuration of the network elements and provides the network performance information, including the port-level Quality of Service (QoS) metrics. Additionally, the system enables navigation through the port-level connection and provides different modes for multiple purposes