Timeline

Network Workbench (Sep-Dec):

I will be using the Network Workbench, a network simulation program written by a GMU proffessor, to learn network programming. According to the documentation, the program is very similar to the TCP/IP network protocal. I will go through several of the lessons, designing and using several parts of the workbench. This will help me be able to understand how to implement my program.

Visualization Program (Jan):

The second goal will be to use the workbench to visualize a simple network. I have a previously written program which creates a 3D visualization of directory structures already implemented. I can use this program as a base and write a network visualization in the Network Workbench.

Visualization Techniques (Feb):

The directory visualization I have currently displays directories and subdirectories randomly in a spherical branching structure. I will need to study other visualization options because with a large number of nodes in a wide area network (WAN) or internet, viewing all parts of the network at once is not practical. I could use hyperbolic or logarithmic visualizations (where distances increase exponentially) to focus on specific parts of the network while still showing how those parts connect to the rest.

Transfer to TCP/IP (Mar-Apr):

To use this program with an actual network, I will have to transfer the application from the Newwork Workbench to TCP/IP. Supposedly, this should not be too complicated because the two are so similar. I will need to research TCP/IP programming to understand exactly what differences need to be accounted for.

Finalizing (May-Jun):

The final section of my project will include finalizing the program, making it easy to load, navigate, etc., and writing the formal research paper.