Semi-Distributed Network Fault Diagnosis Based on Digital Twin Network in Highly Dynamic Heterogeneous Networks

Highly dynamic heterogeneous networks (HDHNs), characterized by high node mobility and heterogeneity, frequently experience complex and recurrent network faults. Conventional centralized fault diagnosis methods demand real-time collection of extensive network-wide data, while distributed approaches often exhibit limited fault detection capabilities. Additionally, machine learning-based fault diagnosis methods are challenged by the scarcity of labeled fault samples required for training. To address these limitations, this study proposes a semi-distributed network fault diagnosis architecture based on a digital twin network (DTN). The proposed architecture facilitates the extraction of a comprehensive labeled fault dataset that closely replicates real-world network conditions. Using this dataset, we perform centralized training of an enhanced anomaly detection model, FTS-LSTM, to infer fault types at the node level. To overcome the drawbacks of both centralized and distributed approaches, we further introduce a semi-distributed fault diagnosis algorithm (SDFD) that integrates fault types and severity levels identified by nodes to infer overall network faults. The proposed fault diagnosis scheme is validated on a semi-physical DTN simulation platform, demonstrating its effectiveness in realistic scenarios.