VRML: Adding 3D to Network Management

The increasing number, complexity, and heterogeneity of network management resources have pushed industry and research to find new ways to visualise information that go beyond classic 2D solutions. Network topologies and layered information models have exposed the limitations of these solutions, demanding more powerful 3D visualisation techniques. This paper describes a new approach to the visualisation of network management resources using VRML, a 3D modeling language. VRML has been successfully applied to selected network management problems, showing that network management information can often be presented profitably in 3D format. The ability of modern Web browsers to handle both HTML and VRML allows a simple yet powerful and flexible system for two and three-dimensional network management visualisation to be created.