Network validation between the logical level and the hardware level of a network

• US 10,432,467 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2017
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• 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): Algibhah, Hamza N
• Application Number:
  US15/663,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20180367401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 709223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0266 using meta-data, objects or commands for formatting management information, e.g. using eXtensible markup language [XML]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0873 Checking configuration conflicts between network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/122 of virtualised topologies, e.g. software-defined networks [SDN] or network function virtualisation [NFV]
• 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;

receive, from a controller, a global logical model in a first format, the global logical model containing instructions on how endpoints connected to a network fabric communicate within the fabric;

receive, from a network devices within the fabric, a software model being at least a subset of instructions from the global logical model in a second format executable on the network devices, the subset of instructions being device specific instructions from the global logical model that are device specific to operability of the network devices;

create a local logical model in the first format, the local logical model being at least a device specific portion of the received global logical model that is specific to how the network device communicates to the fabric;

convert at least a portion of the created local logical model and/or at least a portion of the received software model into a common format; and

compare content of overlapping fields from the common format of the local logical model and the common format of the software model;

wherein the software model was created by the network device from the global logical model, and a positive outcome of the comparison represents that the network devices accurately created the received software model from the received global logical model.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second formats are different from each other.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the common format is one of the first and second formats, or is different from both of the first and second formats.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to:

receive from the network devices within the fabric, a hardware model of device specific hardware configurations converted from the software model;

convert at least a portion of the received software model and at least a portion of the received hardware model into the common format;

compare content of overlapping fields from the common format of the software model with the common format of the hardware model; and

wherein a positive outcome of the comparison represents that the one or more network devices accurately converted the software model into the hardware model.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the hardware model has a third format that is different from the first format and the second format.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the common format is one of the second and third formats, or is different from both of the second and third formats.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein a positive outcome of the comparisons represents that that the network devices accurately created the hardware model from the global logical model.

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

receive, from a controller, a global logical model in a first format, the global logical model containing instructions on how endpoints connected to a network fabric communicate within the fabric;

receive, from a network devices within the fabric, a software model being at least a subset of instructions from the global logical model in a second format executable on the network devices, the subset of instructions being device specific instructions from the global logical model that are specific to operability of the network devices;

create a local logical model in the first format, the local logical model being at least a device specific portion of the received global logical model that is specific to how the network device communicates to the fabric;

convert at least a portion of the created local logical model and/or at least a portion of the received software model into a common format; and

compare content of overlapping fields from the common format of the local logical model and the common format of the software model;

wherein the software model was created by the network device from the global logical model, and a positive outcome of the comparison represents that the network devices accurately created the received software model from the received global logical model.

9. The medium of claim 8, wherein the first and second formats are different from each other.

10. The medium of claim 9, wherein the common format is one of the first and second formats, or is different from both of the first and second formats.

11. The medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions to:

receive from the network devices within the fabric, a hardware model of device specific hardware configurations converted from the software model;

convert at least a portion of the received software model and at least a portion of the received hardware model into the common format;

compare content of overlapping fields from the common format of the software model with the common format of the hardware model; and

wherein a positive outcome of the comparison represents that the one or more network devices accurately converted the software model into the hardware model.

12. The medium of claim 11, wherein the hardware model has a third format that is different from the first format and the second format.

13. The medium of claim 12, wherein the second format is one of the second and third formats, or is different from both of the second and third formats.

14. The medium of claim 11, wherein a positive outcome of the comparisons represents that that the network devices accurately created the hardware model from the global logical model.

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

receiving from a controller, a global logical model in a first format, the global logical model containing instructions on how endpoints connected to a network fabric communicate within the fabric;

receiving from a network devices within the fabric, a software model being at least a subset of instructions from the global logical model in a second format executable on the network devices, the subset of instructions being device specific instructions from the global logical model that are specific to operability of the network devices;

creating a local logical model in the first format, the local logical model being at least a device portion of the received global logical model that is specific to how the network device communicates to the fabric;

converting at least a portion of the created local logical model and/or at least a portion of the received software model into a common format; and

comparing content of overlapping fields from the common format of the local logical model and the common format of the software model;

wherein the software model was created by the network device from the global logical model, and a positive outcome of the comparison represents that the network device accurately created the received software model from the received global logical model.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first and second formats are different from each other.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the common format is one of the first and second formats, or is different from both of the first and second formats.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving from the network devices within the fabric, a hardware model of device specific hardware configurations converted from the software model;

converting at least a portion of the received software model and at least a portion of the received hardware model into the common format;

content of overlapping fields from the common format of the software model with the common format of the hardware model; and

wherein a positive outcome of the comparing represents that the one of the network devices earlier accurately converted the software model into the hardware model.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the hardware model has a third format that is different from the first format and the second format.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the common format is one of the second and third formats, or is different from both of the second and third formats.