Bipartite networks to enable management of internet core and metro infrastructure

Abstract

In Telecommunications, core and metro network infrastructure provide high-speed, low-latency internet service to national-level areas. Their optimal operation and management are essential for today's increasing internet service demand. The usual representation of such infrastructure as a complex network considers router stations and other main internet sites as network nodes, connected by links that represent fibre-optic cables. However, this representation comes with important simplifications. One of them is that two nodes are connected by one single link when in reality there are involved multiple links in that connection. This paper explores bipartite networks to model the detail of multiple links connecting two network nodes, zooming-in process. To avoid dimensional complexities, the cable disentangles will only be in place at local sub-networks where the analysis may have a particular focus of interest. For instance, this process will support the decision-making associated to re-routing operations after a traffic anomaly has been detected. To show the efficiency of this multi-resolution network approach, the paper uses the case study of the core and metro infrastructure of one of the major UK internet service providers.