Validation of routing information base-forwarding information base equivalence in a network

• US 10,348,564 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2017
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Harneja, Sanchay, Pani, Ayas
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kim T
• Application Number:
  US15/663,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20180367393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2289 by configuration test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0866 Checking the configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0873 Checking configuration conflicts between network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities

Abstract

Disclosed are systems, methods, and computer-readable media for assuring tenant forwarding in a network environment. Network assurance can be determined in layer 1, layer 2 and layer 3 of the networked environment including, internal-internal (e.g., inter-fabric) forwarding and internal-external (e.g., outside the fabric) forwarding in the networked environment. The network assurance can be performed using logical configurations, software configurations and/or hardware configurations

Claims

1. A system for performing a network assurance check of proper deployment of a configuration in a fabric, comprising:

at least one memory configured to store data; and

at least one processor operable to execute instructions associated with the data, which when executed by the at least one processor, causes the processor to;

obtain a forwarding information base (FIB) and a routing information base (RIB) of a network device;

convert the FIB and/or the RIB to a common format;

remove from the RIB and FIB duplicates;

determine, whether a RIB entry in the RIB matches an entry in the FIB;

identify, in response to a negative result of the determination, when the entry in the FIB is covered by another RIB entry; and

generate an error event in response to a negative result of the identification.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions for determination comprises instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to determine an IP address/mask and next hop of an entry in the FIB matches the RIB entry.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions for identification comprises instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to identify a FIB entry in the FIB that has a next hop that matches the unmatched RIB entry and an IP address/mask that covers the unmatched RIB entry.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions for identification comprises instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to identify a FIB entry in the FIB that has an alternative subnet prefix that completely covers the unmatched RIB entry.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the FIB is obtained from a line controller of the network device and the RIB is extracted from SUP controller of the network device.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the network device is a leaf or spine in the fabric, and the system further comprises instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to obtain from the leaf or spine a software model containing the FIB and RIB.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions to determine is applied to every entry in the RIB.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the determining comprises determining if an IP address/mask and next hop of any entry in the FIB matches the RIB entry.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the identifying comprises identifying a FIB entry in the FIB that has a next hop that matches the unmatched RIB entry and an IP address/mask that covers the unmatched RIB entry.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the identifying comprises identifying a FIB entry in the FIB that has an alternative subnet prefix that completely covers the unmatched RIB entry.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the FIB is obtained from a line controller of the network device and the RIB is extracted from SUP controller of the network device.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the network device is a leaf or spine in the fabric, and the obtaining further comprises receiving from the leaf or spine a software model containing the FIB and RIB.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the determining is applied to every entry in the RIB.

8. A method for performing a network assurance check of proper deployment of a configuration in a fabric, comprising:

obtaining a FIB and a RIB of the network device;

converting the FIB and the RIB to a common format;

removing from the RIB and FIB duplicates;

determining, whether a RIB entry in the RIB matches an entry in the FIB;

identifying, in response to a negative result of the determination, when the entry in the FIB is covered by another RIB entry; and

generating an error event in response to a negative result of the identifying.

15. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions, which when executed by a processor causes the processor to:

obtain a FIB and a RIB of the network device;

convert the FIB and/or the RIB to a common format;

remove from the RIB and FIB duplicates;

determine, whether a RIB entry in the RIB matches an entry in the FIB;

identify, in response to a negative result of the determination, when the entry in the FIB is covered by another RIB entry; and

generate an error event in response to a negative result of the identification.

16. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for determination comprises instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to determine an IP address/mask and next hop of an entry in the FIB matches the RIB entry.

17. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for identification comprises instructions to identify a FIB entry in the FIB that has a next hop that matches the unmatched RIB entry and an IP address/mask that covers the unmatched RIB entry.

18. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for identification comprises instructions to identify a FIB entry in the FIB that has an alternative subnet prefix that completely covers the unmatched RIB entry.

19. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the FIB is obtained from a line controller of the network device and the RIB is extracted from SUP controller of the network device.

20. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the network device is a leaf or spine in the fabric, and the system further comprises instructions to obtain from the leaf or spine a software model containing the FIB and RIB.