The map data comes from two sources: the node database, and the network scanner results.
The node database is read from the HECnet node name database at MIM. The code extracts name, node address, owner's name, name of the node's location, and location latitude/longitude. This information is retrieved daily. If your node location information is missing or incorrect, please contact Johnny Billquist, the keeper of the HECnet node database.
The network scanner looks at every node mentioned in the node database plus every node it can see as reachable. From these, it collects information about nodes and circuits (connections between nodes).
The map display takes as input the node and adjacent-node information collected by the scanner and summarizes it in two steps. First, all the nodes are grouped by latitude/longitude. Each distinct spot on the map is given a marker associated with all the nodes at that location. Nodes without location information are assigned the placeholder coordinates 37° 18′ S, 12° 41′ W (the location of Inaccessible Island).
Each item (node or circuit) has a "health" which is similar to its up/down status.
| Health | Description |
|---|---|
| Up | Node or circuit is currently visible to the scanner as operational |
| Down | Node or circuit is not currently visible to the scanner, or it is seen in the scan but the reported status is "not operational" |
| Faded | Node or circuit has been "down" for more than two weeks, or node has never been seen as "up". |
More detail on the mapper system, including details of how it operates, can be found here.