VRML: Adding 3D to Network Management

The increasing number, complexity, and heterogenity of network management resources have pushed industry and research to find new ways to visualize information that go beyond the classic 2D solutions. Network topologies and layered information models have exposed the limitations of these solutions, demanding more powerful 3D visualization techniques. This paper describes a new approach to the visualization of network management resources using VRML, a 3D modeling language. VRML has been successfully applied to selected network management problems, showing that the 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 management visualization to be created.