1. A method for graphically presenting characteristics of data traffic on a distributed computer network, comprising: monitoring traffic on said network; storing records relating to said traffic in one or more network information files; selecting a characteristic of said traffic for display; obtaining a plurality of values of said characteristic of said traffic from said one or more network information files for a selected plurality of time intervals within a larger time interval; and displaying a map of a network topology of said network; presenting said characteristic by playing a rapid succession of graphical images of said map of said network topology, each graphical image representing said network as nodes connected by lines overlaid on said map, said nodes each representing components in said network, said lines representing traffic flow between said components, each graphical image graphically representing the value of said characteristic at a particular selected time interval of said plurality of time intervals within the larger time interval with a property of at least one line of said lines that connect nodes, wherein said property includes a density of said at least one line, wherein a change in said density of said at least one line that connects nodes in successive graphical images of said map of the network topology indicates a change in the value of said characteristic of said traffic between said components.