http://www.commsdesign.com/story/OEG20020520S0037
from the page:
Using the database, Router Explorer builds a visual graph of the
network, highlighting link failures and route "flapping" problems
as they are discovered. The customer can compare that with historical
data on the network behavior, or perform simulations on how the
network would behave if certain critical routes were changed.
Historical analyses and future simulations can be run as time-based
"movies" in the graphical environment, providing easy-to-grasp models
of how router networks behave over time.