Routing Policy Impact Simulation for Network Traffic
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing routing configuration changes in networks often lead to unintended disruptions in legacy systems, making it difficult for administrators to diagnose and manage network communications, as the effects of these changes are not easily traceable and can impact historical network traffic.
Innovation Solution
A method that involves generating simulation packets based on historical network data to simulate the impact of proposed routing policy changes, comparing the simulated paths with initial paths, and determining whether to apply the changes by assessing deviations and potential interruptions, allowing for the creation of carve-outs to mitigate issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If routing policy changes are applied to network nodes, then network traffic can be optimized and improved, but unintended disruptions and errors can occur in legacy systems
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary simulation of routing policy changes by generating simulation packets that mimic historical network traffic. Before applying a routing policy change to production, the system routes these simulation packets through the network with the proposed changes and compares the results against expected behavior, allowing administrators to detect potential disruptions before they affect actual network operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates copies of historical network packets as simulation packets that preserve the essential characteristics of real traffic. These copied packets are then used in the simulation environment to test routing policy changes without risking disruptions to actual network communications, enabling safe experimentation with new routing strategies.
2Ease of operation
If routing policy changes are applied without simulation, then network administrators can quickly implement updates, but diagnosing and managing unintended effects becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by automatically comparing the simulated routing results with expected outcomes. When deviations are detected, the system provides detailed information about which packets were affected and how their routing changed, enabling administrators to quickly understand the impact of policy changes without manual tracing through complex network paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The simulation system acts as an intermediary between routing policy configuration and actual network deployment. It provides a testing layer that mediates between the desired policy changes and the production network, allowing administrators to validate changes safely before they reach the actual network infrastructure.
3Measurement precision
If simulation packets are generated for all historical packets, then comprehensive testing of routing changes is achieved, but processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by generating simulation packets for a representative subset of historical traffic rather than every single packet. This approach provides sufficient comprehensiveness to detect routing policy issues while significantly reducing the computational burden and processing time compared to simulating all historical packets.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the historical packet data into manageable groups or time periods, processing simulation packets in batches rather than all at once. This segmentation allows the simulation to be performed efficiently on available computational resources while still providing comprehensive coverage of different traffic patterns and scenarios.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes receiving network monitoring data for a plurality of internet protocol (“IP”) packets, each having been routed along a respective initial path according to a predetermined policy by a routing node. The method also includes receiving a proposed policy designed to cause an intended change in routing future IP packets and generating a corresponding simulation packet for each of the plurality of IP packets based on the network monitoring data. The method still further includes routing each of the simulation packets along a respective simulated path according to the proposed policy to simulate routing the future IP packets and determining, for a particular IP packet, a deviation between the respective simulated path for the corresponding simulation packet and the respective initial path. The method additionally includes determining whether to apply the proposed policy to the routing node based on whether the intended change in routing includes the deviation.