Extending the IP Control Plane

1
Extending the IP Control Plane

• Doug Brent
• CEO
• Packet Design
• www.packetdesign.com

2
Packet Design, Inc.

• Two-years in the making, spinout of
  Estrin/Carrico venture, Packet Design, LLC
• Offers control plane appliances that leverage and
  extend IP networking
• enhancing the availability, efficiency and
  predictability of IP networks
• First product, Route Explorer provides Network
  visualization, analysis and diagnostics
• Dynamically analyze routed network
• Quickly diagnose intermittent problems
• Identify misconfigurations
• Reduce downtime
• Shipping products since June, 2002

3
Evolution of IP

• Forwarding path
• Focus of the 90s when switching threatened
  routing
• Keep it simple in order to scale
• Basic building blocks
• Control plane protocols not just faster, better
• Evolution (not replacement) of current routing
  control plane protocols, e.g. BPG - reliability,
  scale, security
• New protocols only where really necessary, e.g.
  SIP
• Control plane appliances help run the network
• Extend the network architecture using network
  intelligence
• Operations should not be stepchild of the
  industry

4
The Need

• The distributed architecture that makes IP the
  winner, makes running the network more of a
  challenge
• Bubble-era, brute force solution of bandwidth
  and people doesnt scale any more
• Network operatorsenterprises and service
  providerscan plan, build-out and operate nodes
  and links
• No infrastructure for network visibility, traffic
  analysis and control
• New category solution, route analytics based on
  control plane analysis, provides the first step
  answer

5
Todays View of IP Clouds
Network Managers have no idea what really goes on
inside the cloud

• Networks today are
• planned
• built
• provisioned
• managed
• as devices

6
Visibility into Clouds

• Become part of the cloud Use the Routing Control
  Plane to understand the network
• Visibility Network Availability

7
Network Layer Analysis Today
Accuracy

• Baselined few times (once!) per day

Scalability

• Probe traffic limits scale or time period of
  update

Analytics

• Poor at common, intermittent network problems
• Little root cause analysis

8
Route Analytics Offers
Accuracy

• Always up to date
• Records all events at the speed of the network

• Baselined few times (once!) per day

Scalability

• Largest networks easily supported

• Probe traffic limits scale or time period of
  update

Analytics

• Poor at common, intermittent network problems
• Little root cause analysis

• Root cause data always available (months)
• Shows problems invisible to layer 2

9
A Unique Point of View
10
New Answers

• Monitor routes for route flaps
• Alert on network churn
• Diagnose problems with forensic accuracy
• Validate configuration changes
• Plan with the as running network
• Identify what has failed when the device level
  network shows no problem
• Supplement IP expertise

Increase Network Availability!
11
Further Evolution

• IP will continue to be the unifying force - we
  need to focus on making IP networks better and
  not just faster
• Over time, extending the control plane can
  contribute to
• Traffic engineering
• Provisioning
• Other areas of security and predictability
• Fighting unnecessary complexity and cost