NetComplete: Practical Network-Wide Configuration Synthesis with Autocompletion
Abstract
Network operators often need to adapt the configuration of a network in order to comply with changing routing policies. Evolving existing configurations, however, is a complex task as local changes can have unforeseen global effects. Not surprisingly, this often leads to mistakes that result in network downtimes.
We present NetComplete, a system that assists operators in modifying existing network-wide configurations to comply with new routing policies. NetComplete takes as input configurations with “holes” that identify the parameters to be completed and “autocompletes” these with concrete values. The use of a partial configuration addresses two important challenges inherent to existing synthesis solutions: (i) it allows the operators to precisely control how configurations should be changed; and (ii) it allows the synthesizer to leverage the existing configurations to gain performance. To scale, NetComplete relies on powerful techniques such as counter-example guided inductive synthesis (for link-state protocols) and partial evaluation (for path-vector protocols).
We implemented NetComplete and showed that it can autocomplete configurations using static routes, OSPF, and BGP. Our implementation also scales to realistic networks and complex routing policies. Among others, it is able to synthesize configurations for networks with up to 200 routers within few minutes.
Research Area: Verification and Synthesis
People
BibTex
@INPROCEEDINGS{el-hassany2018netcomplete,
isbn = {978-1-931971-43-0},
year = {2018},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the 15th Usenix Symposium on Networked Systems Design and Implementation},
type = {Conference Paper},
author = {El-Hassany, Ahmed and Tsankov, Petar and Vanbever, Laurent and Vechev, Martin},
abstract = {Network operators often need to adapt the configuration of a network in order to comply with changing rout ing policies. Evolving existing configurations, however, is a complex task as local changes can have unforeseen global effects. Not surprisingly, this often leads to mis takes that result in network downtimes. We present NetComplete, a system that assists oper ators in modifying existing network-wide configurations to comply with new routing policies. NetComplete takes as input configurations with “holes” that identify the parameters to be completed and “autocompletes” these with concrete values. The use of a partial configuration addresses two important challenges inherent to existing synthesis solutions: (i) it allows the operators to precisely control how configurations should be changed; and (ii) it allows the synthesizer to leverage the existing configura tions to gain performance. To scale, NetComplete relies on powerful techniques such as counter-example guided inductive synthesis (for link-state protocols) and partial evaluation (for path-vector protocols). We implemented NetComplete and showed that it can autocomplete configurations using static routes, OSPF, and BGP. Our implementation also scales to realistic net works and complex routing policies. Among others, it is able to synthesize configurations for networks with up to 200 routers within few minutes.},
language = {en},
address = {Berkeley, CA},
publisher = {USENIX Association},
title = {NetComplete: Practical Network-Wide Configuration Synthesis with Autocompletion},
PAGES = {579 - 594},
Note = {15th USENIX Symposium on Networked Systems Design and Implementation (NSDI 2018); Conference Location: Renton, WA, USA; Conference Date: April 9-11, 2018}
}Research Collection: 20.500.11850/350008