Self-Managed Networks: Self-Managed Networks: Dream or Reality?Dream or Reality?

Jawad KhakiJawad KhakiCorporate Vice PresidentCorporate Vice PresidentWindows Networking & Device TechnologiesWindows Networking & Device Technologies

Current SituationCurrent Situation

Management is expensiveManagement is expensiveDevices only understand low-level Devices only understand low-level settingssettings

Diagnostics/monitoring is primitiveDiagnostics/monitoring is primitive

Need a comprehensive network Need a comprehensive network solutionsolution

ISP, hotspotISP, hotspot

EnterpriseEnterprise

HomeHome

IT BudgetsIT Budgets

Pain PointsPain Points

Complexity due to inconsistencyComplexity due to inconsistencyHeterogeneous worldHeterogeneous worldDifferent configuration modelsDifferent configuration modelsVariety of monitoring techniquesVariety of monitoring techniquesVersion/vendor specific repair proceduresVersion/vendor specific repair proceduresHard to understand dependenciesHard to understand dependencies

Networking problems are a significant cause Networking problems are a significant cause of overall service failure (Oppenheimer, of overall service failure (Oppenheimer, USITS’03)USITS’03)

Network causes 15% of all problems resulting in Network causes 15% of all problems resulting in downtime (Forrester survey of IT pros)downtime (Forrester survey of IT pros)

Not humanly solvableNot humanly solvable

Operator error is largest cause of service Operator error is largest cause of service failures in some environments failures in some environments (Oppenheimer, USITS’03)(Oppenheimer, USITS’03)40% of downtime is due to human 40% of downtime is due to human operators (Candea, ’03)operators (Candea, ’03)In many environments, operator may not In many environments, operator may not be tech savvy (e.g., home) or even be tech savvy (e.g., home) or even immediately available (e.g., space, sensor immediately available (e.g., space, sensor nets).nets).Consumer networking support calls are Consumer networking support calls are time consuming, e.g., power cycle time consuming, e.g., power cycle router/modem = avg 53 min (MS PSS)router/modem = avg 53 min (MS PSS)

End-to-End Approach EssentialEnd-to-End Approach Essential

Apps/users understand behavior Apps/users understand behavior desireddesired

Network admins understand high-level Network admins understand high-level design goals/constraintsdesign goals/constraints

The dream is to integrate end-user The dream is to integrate end-user knowledge and administrative goalsknowledge and administrative goals

Big DreamsBig Dreams

Self-managing networksSelf-managing networksSelf-deploying and self-cleaningSelf-deploying and self-cleaningSelf-configuring and self-adaptingSelf-configuring and self-adaptingSelf-optimizingSelf-optimizingSelf-protectingSelf-protectingSelf-monitoringSelf-monitoringSelf-diagnosingSelf-diagnosingSelf-healingSelf-healingPrevention more than curePrevention more than cure

A self-* system requires knowledge of itself and its A self-* system requires knowledge of itself and its environment, it is environment, it is self-awareself-aware

Some Real Examples TodaySome Real Examples Today

Policy distribution systems allow auto-Policy distribution systems allow auto-deployment of configuration across a deployment of configuration across a networknetwork

Routing protocols auto-adapt to Routing protocols auto-adapt to topology changes and failurestopology changes and failures

TCP auto-adapts to congestionTCP auto-adapts to congestion

DemosDemos

Product Engineering Product Engineering ChallengeChallenge

Design for experienceDesign for experienceEnd user: Focus on the task not technology End user: Focus on the task not technology

Network manager: Design, deploy, operateNetwork manager: Design, deploy, operate

Must get the fundamentals rightMust get the fundamentals right

Essential to think through scenariosEssential to think through scenariosWork flowWork flow

IntelligenceIntelligence

EnvironmentEnvironment

Always keeping the customer in mindAlways keeping the customer in mind

Hard issuesHard issues

Multiple administrative Multiple administrative organizationsorganizations

Different relationshipsDifferent relationshipsPeersPeers

Customer-providerCustomer-provider

ArbitraryArbitrary

Lack of trust motivates privacy Lack of trust motivates privacy constraintsconstraints

Unaligned goals means configuration Unaligned goals means configuration is a challengeis a challenge

Possibility of catastrophic Possibility of catastrophic failurefailure

Defect in automation can have disastrous Defect in automation can have disastrous resultsresults

““Rogue equipment can create a monster Rogue equipment can create a monster headache. It can easily waste a million dollars of headache. It can easily waste a million dollars of resources.” resources.”

-IT admin, large LA corporation-IT admin, large LA corporation

Broadcast storms due to protocol or software Broadcast storms due to protocol or software bugs (Spurgeon, 1989)bugs (Spurgeon, 1989)One router vendor tried offering automated One router vendor tried offering automated config repair features, but found that customers config repair features, but found that customers were afraid to deploy itwere afraid to deploy it

Possibility of exploitation by malwarePossibility of exploitation by malware

Tension between control and Tension between control and automationautomation

Flexibility of business models and Flexibility of business models and preferred treatmentspreferred treatments

Compliance requirementsCompliance requirements

Job security for operatorsJob security for operatorsNatural aversion to loss of controlNatural aversion to loss of control

Change to unfamiliar technologyChange to unfamiliar technology

Need to find the right Need to find the right balancebalance

Policy to express high-level Policy to express high-level constraintsconstraints

Self-management within those Self-management within those constraintsconstraints

Control Automation

Static routesStatic addressesetc

Dynamic routingDynamic addressesetcBALANCE

SummarySummary

Innovation in fundamentals just as important Innovation in fundamentals just as important as new scenariosas new scenarios

Make secure, effortless, reliable, efficient Make secure, effortless, reliable, efficient operation the forethoughtoperation the forethought

Let humans succeed at what they’re good atLet humans succeed at what they’re good at

Let’s solve the hard issuesLet’s solve the hard issues

Dealing with heterogeneity of Dealing with heterogeneity of device types and vendorsdevice types and vendors

Hard to visualize existing state and Hard to visualize existing state and dependenciesdependencies

Expensive to maintain multiple Expensive to maintain multiple configuration/monitoring systemsconfiguration/monitoring systems

Need for common solutionsNeed for common solutions

Simplicity Heterogeneity

Dealing with poorly written Dealing with poorly written applicationsapplications

““Some applications need to know what machine Some applications need to know what machine a person is on...we found that giving the a person is on...we found that giving the docking stations a static IP address and the docking stations a static IP address and the laptop a static IP address makes it easier for laptop a static IP address makes it easier for us.”us.” (IT Admin, Medium Org, New York) (IT Admin, Medium Org, New York)