Cloud Network Replication for Configuration Validation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current network validation methods, such as laboratory testing and canary testing, are insufficient as they do not provide comprehensive validation of configuration changes across all network devices, leading to potential outages and errors due to incomplete simulation of network topology and connectivity.
Innovation Solution
A method for holistic validation of network configuration changes is achieved by replicating a target physical network in the cloud using emulated network devices that mirror the native communication and connectivity of the actual network, allowing for comprehensive testing without impacting the existing network state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If laboratory testing is used to validate configuration changes, then testing can be conducted in a safe environment, but the validation is incomplete because it uses a fractional reproduction of the actual network that cannot account for true topology, connectivity, or interoperation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a replicated network that is a complete copy of the actual network topology, connectivity, and device interoperations. This replicated network runs in the cloud and mirrors the production network's structure, allowing comprehensive validation of configuration changes without impacting the actual network. The copying principle enables holistic validation by reproducing the entire network environment rather than a fractional representation.
2Reliability
If canary testing is used to validate configuration changes against actual network devices, then the validation accounts for network state and change impact, but the validation is of limited scope because errors may occur outside the tested subset of devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the validation process by separating the replicated network from the actual production network. The replicated network serves as an isolated testing environment that mirrors production, allowing complete network validation without risking the actual network. This segmentation enables comprehensive testing of all devices and configurations while preventing harmful effects from reaching production systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The replicated network acts as an intermediary between the configuration changes and the actual production network. By validating changes in the replicated environment first, the system provides a buffer that prevents undetected errors from affecting production. The intermediary replicated network captures and displays errors before they can impact the actual network operations.
3Reliability
If configuration changes are applied directly to the actual network to achieve holistic validation, then complete validation is possible, but errors such as blackholes, loops, and lost traffic result in lost productivity and revenue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary validation of configuration changes in the replicated network before applying them to the actual production network. By testing changes in advance in a mirror environment, the system identifies potential errors such as blackholes, loops, and routing issues before they can affect production. This preliminary action in the replicated network prevents harmful effects from reaching the actual network.
Solution Approach 2:
The replicated network serves as a cushioning layer that absorbs and contains validation errors before they can impact the production network. By validating changes in the replicated environment first, the system provides protective buffering that prevents outages, blackholes, and other errors from affecting actual network operations, thereby protecting productivity and revenue.
Data Source
AI summary
A replication of a physical network is created in the cloud. The replicated network safely validates configuration changes for any hardware network device of the physical network and the physical network end state resulting from the changes without impacting the physical network steady state. The replicated network creates virtual machines on hardware resources provisioned from the cloud. The virtual machines emulate network device functionality and have the same addressing as the network devices. Nested overlay networks reproduce the direct connectivity that exists between different pairs of the network devices on the virtual machines. A first overlay network formed by a first Virtual Extensible Local Area Network (VXLAN) provides direct logical connections between the cloud machines on which the virtual machines execute. A second overlay network of VXLANs leverages the first VXLAN to establish direct logical connections between the virtual machines that mirror the direct connections between the network devices.