VeriFlow: Verifying network-wide invariants in real time

Ahmed Khurshid, Wenxuan Zhou, Matthew Caesar, P. Brighten Godfrey

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

Networks are complex and prone to bugs. Existing tools that check configuration files and data-plane state operate offline at timescales of seconds to hours, and cannot detect or prevent bugs as they arise. Is it possible to check network-wide invariants in real time, as the network state evolves? The key challenge here is to achieve extremely low latency during the checks so that network performance is not affected. In this paper, we present a preliminary design, VeriFlow, which suggests that this goal is achievable. VeriFlow is a layer between a software-defined networking controller and network devices that checks for network-wide invariant violations dynamically as each forwarding rule is inserted. Based on an implementation using a Mininet OpenFlow network and Route Views trace data, we find that VeriFlow can perform rigorous checking within hundreds of microseconds per rule insertion.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationHotSDN'12 - Proceedings of the 1st ACM International Workshop on Hot Topics in Software Defined Networks
Pages49-54
Number of pages6
DOIs
StatePublished - 2012
Event1st ACM International Workshop on Hot Topics in Software Defined Networks, HotSDN 2012 - Helsinki, Finland
Duration: Aug 13 2012Aug 13 2012

Publication series

NameHotSDN'12 - Proceedings of the 1st ACM International Workshop on Hot Topics in Software Defined Networks

Other

Other1st ACM International Workshop on Hot Topics in Software Defined Networks, HotSDN 2012
Country/TerritoryFinland
CityHelsinki
Period8/13/128/13/12

Keywords

  • debugging
  • forwarding
  • openflow
  • real time
  • software-defined networking

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Computer Networks and Communications
  • Software

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