Dynamic Homeostasis in Packet Switching Networks

TL;DR

This paper models the Internet's packet switching network as a dynamic system with self-organizing attractors, analyzing how TCP congestion control contributes to its robustness and fragility through simulations.

Contribution

It introduces a novel interpretation of TCP congestion control as self-organization of attractors, providing a quantitative analysis of Internet robustness via simulations.

Findings

Identification of attractor dynamics in cwnd behavior

Correlation between input variation and network stability

Application of Ashby's Law to Internet robustness

Abstract

In this study, we investigate the adaptation and robustness of a packet switching network (PSN), the fundamental architecture of the Internet. We claim that the adaptation introduced by a transmission control protocol (TCP) congestion control mechanism is interpretable as the self-organization of multiple attractors and stability to switch from one attractor to another. To discuss this argument quantitatively, we study the adaptation of the Internet by simulating a PSN using ns-2. Our hypothesis is that the robustness and fragility of the Internet can be attributed to the inherent dynamics of the PSN feedback mechanism called the congestion window size, or \textit{cwnd}. By varying the data input into the PSN system, we investigate the possible self-organization of attractors in cwnd temporal dynamics and discuss the adaptability and robustness of PSNs. The present study provides an example of Ashby's Law of Requisite Variety in action.