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SAFLA: Semantic-aware Full Lifecycle Assurance Designed for Intent-Driven Networks

Shiwen Kou, Chungang Yang, Mingji Wu

TL;DR

SAFLA addresses the semantic gap in IDNs by fusing top-down and bottom-up approaches to maintain the alignment between high-level intents and low-level configurations throughout the full lifecycle. It introduces NSKG-based state abstraction, intent synthesis, semantic fusion, consistency checks, and repair policy reasoning to detect and automatically rectify inconsistencies. The framework demonstrates real-time intent extraction and resilience to hijack attacks in SDN deployments, outperforming purely top-down baselines such as ONOS in runtime assurance. The results indicate SAFLA enables proactive, self-healing network management with scalable performance in networks from dozens to hundreds of switches.

Abstract

Intent-driven Networks (IDNs) are crucial in enhancing network management efficiency by enabling the translation of high-level intents into executable configurations via a top-down approach. The escalating complexity of network architectures, however, has led to a semantic gap between these intents and their actual configurations, posing significant challenges to the accuracy and reliability of IDNs. While existing methodologies attempt to address this gap through a bottom-up analysis of network metadata, they often fall short, focusing primarily on intent extraction or reasoning without fully leveraging insights to tackle the inherent challenges of IDNs. To mitigate this, we introduce SAFLA, a semantic-aware framework specifically designed to assure the full lifecycle of intents within IDNs. By seamlessly integrating top-down and bottom-up approaches, SAFLA not only provides comprehensive intent assurance but also effectively bridges the semantic gap. This integration facilitates a self-healing mechanism, substantially reducing the need for manual intervention even in dynamically changing network environments. Experimental results demonstrate the framework's feasibility and efficiency, confirming its capacity to quickly adapt intents in response to network changes, thus marking an important advancement in the field of IDNs.

SAFLA: Semantic-aware Full Lifecycle Assurance Designed for Intent-Driven Networks

TL;DR

SAFLA addresses the semantic gap in IDNs by fusing top-down and bottom-up approaches to maintain the alignment between high-level intents and low-level configurations throughout the full lifecycle. It introduces NSKG-based state abstraction, intent synthesis, semantic fusion, consistency checks, and repair policy reasoning to detect and automatically rectify inconsistencies. The framework demonstrates real-time intent extraction and resilience to hijack attacks in SDN deployments, outperforming purely top-down baselines such as ONOS in runtime assurance. The results indicate SAFLA enables proactive, self-healing network management with scalable performance in networks from dozens to hundreds of switches.

Abstract

Intent-driven Networks (IDNs) are crucial in enhancing network management efficiency by enabling the translation of high-level intents into executable configurations via a top-down approach. The escalating complexity of network architectures, however, has led to a semantic gap between these intents and their actual configurations, posing significant challenges to the accuracy and reliability of IDNs. While existing methodologies attempt to address this gap through a bottom-up analysis of network metadata, they often fall short, focusing primarily on intent extraction or reasoning without fully leveraging insights to tackle the inherent challenges of IDNs. To mitigate this, we introduce SAFLA, a semantic-aware framework specifically designed to assure the full lifecycle of intents within IDNs. By seamlessly integrating top-down and bottom-up approaches, SAFLA not only provides comprehensive intent assurance but also effectively bridges the semantic gap. This integration facilitates a self-healing mechanism, substantially reducing the need for manual intervention even in dynamically changing network environments. Experimental results demonstrate the framework's feasibility and efficiency, confirming its capacity to quickly adapt intents in response to network changes, thus marking an important advancement in the field of IDNs.
Paper Structure (22 sections, 2 equations, 10 figures, 3 tables)

This paper contains 22 sections, 2 equations, 10 figures, 3 tables.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Related Works
  3. Top-down Methodology for IDN
  4. Bottom-up Methodology for IDN
  5. An Overview of the Proposed Framework
  6. Top-down Components in Intent-Driven Networks
  7. Bottom-up Analysis and Intent Assurance
  8. State Abstraction
  9. Intent Synthesising
  10. Semantic Fusion
  11. Consistency Check
  12. Repair Policy Reasoning
  13. Performance Evaluation
  14. Evaluation Environment
  15. Corporate Network Scenario
  16. ...and 7 more sections

Figures (10)

  • Figure 1: The motivation of the proposed framework.
  • Figure 2: The architecture of the semantic-aware full lifecycle assurance framework
  • Figure 3: Examples of flow entry details
  • Figure 4: Flow tables synthesis.
  • Figure 5: The process of intent semantic fusion.
  • ...and 5 more figures