DDoS attacks vs defences for benchmarking methodology

[misa () hotmail co uk]

Hello. 

I am a Honours Student doing a disseration/project. The title of my project is "The effectiveness of DDoS defences 
against DDoS attacks". 

I'll be investigating malicious semi/automated DDoS attacks on a network with 10-15 client machines, a single web 
server. The defences researched will be preventative router based mechanisms. 

The aim is to develop a new methodology for benchmarking defence mechanisms through current research and then utilise 
experimental data to produce a measure of the defences effectiveness.

Currently I'm in the research stage of my project. 

I am looking for current articles/papers on DDoS attacks and router based defence mechanisms. Along with current 
methods of benchmarking/evaluation of defence effectiveness. 

I'd like to ask if you could tell me of current benchmarking methods so that I may use them as the basis of my 
methodology yet also avoid "re-inventing the wheel" by not doing what has already been done.

If you could also specify common DDoS attacks I should look at and defences this would be most appreciated.

My thoughts at the moment are to examine 3-4 common DDoS attacks and 2-3 defences. Attacks such as spoofed/reflector 
floods, brute force. 

Thanks.

Asim