Network Verification Tests With Symbolic Packets for Lower Resource Use

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional network verification methods are resource-intensive and limited in versatility, particularly for large-scale cloud computing networks, as they often require replicating the entire network and implementing changes across vast operations, leading to inefficiencies and high processing demands.

Innovation Solution

A network verification system that uses a general-purpose programming language to create tailored network verification tests, allowing for the development of symbolic packets based on equivalence classes and invariants, which reduces processing resources by focusing on specific network elements and changes, thereby enhancing efficiency and versatility.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the entire network is replicated for verification, then verification completeness is improved, but resource consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveverification completenessVSAvoidresource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the network into multiple segments or components, verifying each segment separately rather than replicating the entire network. This segmentation allows verification to be performed on smaller, manageable portions of the network, reducing resource consumption while maintaining verification completeness through systematic coverage of all network segments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts only the necessary network elements and configurations required for verification, rather than replicating the entire network. By identifying and isolating the specific components affected by the proposed change, the system performs verification on a minimal subset of the network, significantly reducing resource consumption while maintaining verification effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Adaptability or versatility

If extensive preprocessing is performed to determine network characteristics, then analysis capability is improved, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveanalysis capabilityVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-identifying and caching network characteristics, topologies, and configurations before verification is needed. This preliminary processing allows the verification system to quickly access pre-computed information during actual verification, reducing processing time while maintaining comprehensive analysis capability through the use of pre-prepared network data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS12395418B2Network verification systems and methods

Publication Date: 2025.08.19 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

A network verification system uses general-purpose programming language to create network verification tests. A test orchestrator builds a model of the network only using data from the network verification test. An optimization testing manager creates symbolic packets for verification tests using assertions based on a packet library embedded into the testing manager and the general-purpose programming language.