01372nas a2200121   4500000000100000008004100001260004400042100001900086700001800105700001700123245006600140520104400206       2021                            d  c03/2021bAkamai Technologies, Inc.aUSA1 aPawel Foremski1 aArthur Berger1 aDavid Plonka00aInternet address structure analysis, and applications thereof3 aAn analysis system automates IP address structure discovery by deep analysis of sample IPv6 addresses using a set of computational methods, namely, information-theoretic analysis, machine learning, and statistical modeling. The system receives a sample set of IP addresses, computes entropies, discovers and mines address segments, builds a network model of address segment inter-dependencies, and provides a graphical display with various plots and tools to enable a network analyst to navigate and explore the exposed IPv6 address structure. The structural information is then applied as input to applications that include: (a) identifying homogeneous groups of client addresses, e.g., to assist in mapping clients to content in a CDN; (b) supporting network situational awareness efforts, e.g., in cyber defense; (c) selecting candidate targets for active measurements, e.g., traceroutes campaigns, vulnerability assessments, or reachability surveys; and (d) remotely assessing a network's addressing plan and address assignment policy.