A Device Identification Method for AR-based Network Topology Visualization

It is a crucial issue for a network administrator to quickly and accurately acquire up-to-data network topology information for installing new devices, changing existing routes, and fixing communication failures. In this paper, we propose a network topology visualization system based on mobile AR (Augmented Reality) for assisting the administrator in real working environments. A focus to effectively support him/her is to provide a way for automatically identifying a specific network device he/she is working on and present its latest topology information without interrupting his/her administration tasks. The proposed device identification method estimates the administrator´s physical location using the signal strength of wireless APs (access points) receivable at the location and makes a guess for candidate target devices such as a group of routers and switches. Next, it narrows down to a specific device among the candidates using a vision-based object identification technique. Then, the system graphically visualizes the network topology information of the identified device through an HMD (Head Mounted Display) device worn by the administrator. The system supports not only senior administrators to efficiently performing complex management tasks, but also juniors and trainees to acquire practical knowledge and skills on network administration.