The Observer Effect in Computer Networks

Network measurement involves an inherent tradeoff between accuracy and overhead; higher accuracy typically comes at the expense of greater measurement overhead (measurement frequency, number of probe packets, etc.). Capturing the “right” balance between these two desiderata – high accuracy and low overhead – is a key challenge. However, the manner in which accuracy and overhead are traded off is specific to the measurement method, rendering apples-to-apples comparisons difficult. To address this, we put forth a novel analytical framework for quantifying the accuracy-overhead tradeoff for network measurements. Our framework, inspired by the observer effect in modern physics, introduces the notion of a network observer factor, which formally captures the relation between measurement accuracy and overhead. Using our “network observer framework”, measurement methods for the same task can be characterized in terms of their network observer factors, allowing for apples to apples comparisons. We illustrate the usefulness of our approach by showing how it can be applied to various application domains and validate its conclusions through experimental evaluation.