A Characterization of Node Uptime Distributions in the PlanetLab Test Bed

In this paper, we study nodes from the PlanetLab test bed to form a model of their uptime behavior. By applying clustering techniques to over a year´s worth of availability data for the nodes, we identify six uptime distributions, each exhibiting unique characteristics shared by the nodes within it. The behavioral patterns exhibited by these groups, combined with the behaviors exhibited by the aggregate across the system, provide useful information for researchers designing applications that are run or tested on PlanetLab.