Abstract: An example method for facilitating conflict avoidant traffic routing in a network environment is provided and includes detecting, at a network element, an intent conflict at a peer network element in a network, and changing a forwarding decision at the network element to steer traffic around the conflicted peer network element. The intent conflict refers to an incompatibility between an asserted intent associated with the traffic and an implemented intent associated with the traffic. In specific embodiments, the detecting includes mounting rules from the peer network element into the network element, and analyzing the mounted rules to determine intent conflict. In some embodiments, a central controller in the network deploys one or more intentlets on a plurality of network elements in the network according to corresponding intent deployment parameters.

Abstract: In one implementation, a protocol for dissemination of information, such as configuration information, in a computer network is provided. The dissemination of the payload or content is separated from the dissemination of the fact that a new revision of that payload or content exists. The availability of a new revision of the payload or content is signaled prior to the transfer. Only nodes receiving the notice of existence of the new revision and requesting the new revision receive the payload or content. While the payload or content revision notifications potentially arrive at a receiving node from many different neighbors, the payload or content is only requested once by the receiving node and transmitted once over links between neighbors. This scheme may result in low end-to-end delays and in resiliency.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a computer implemented method for determining network delay values comprises receiving, by a management server that is communicatively coupled via one or more networks or internetworks to a first router and a second router, two or more first timestamp values from the first router at first times at which two or more packets associated with a particular packet flow are received at the first router; receiving by the management server two or more second timestamp values from the second router at second times at which the same two or more packets associated with the same particular packet flow are received at the second router; determining one or more of: a one-way delay time in which the particular packet flow travels between the first router and the second router based on the first timestamp values and the second timestamp values; an inferred round-trip time.

Abstract: Techniques related to efficient transport of data encoded using multiple templates are disclosed. A sending computing device sends an internet message including internet message segments toward a receiving computing device. The internet message stores information about a data object that includes property types corresponding to property values. A portion of the data object includes multiple instances of a particular property type, and each instance corresponds to a property value. The internet message segments store the property values according to multiple templates, and each internet message segment corresponds to a template. Among the multiple templates is a particular template for the portion of the data object that includes the multiple instances of the particular property type. The multiple templates include fields that correspond to field identifiers.

Abstract: An example method for facilitating conflict avoidant traffic routing in a network environment is provided and includes detecting, at a network element, an intent conflict at a peer network element in a network, and changing a forwarding decision at the network element to steer traffic around the conflicted peer network element. The intent conflict refers to an incompatibility between an asserted intent associated with the traffic and an implemented intent associated with the traffic. In specific embodiments, the detecting includes mounting rules from the peer network element into the network element, and analyzing the mounted rules to determine intent conflict. In some embodiments, a central controller in the network deploys one or more intentlets on a plurality of network elements in the network according to corresponding intent deployment parameters.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for transmitting system management requests to computer systems along a network path using a network control protocol, such as RSVP. For example, an originating node may send a single system management request along a path to a destination node using a network control protocol. Each computer system along the network path may analyze the network control protocol message to determine whether the message contains a system management request. If a system management request is found in the message, the computer system may perform the system management function identified in the request, and respond to it.

Abstract: Computer systems and methods for allocating bandwidth so that server computers can send data to a client computer without exceeding the available bandwidth between the server computers and the client computer, or the processing bandwidth or capacity of the client computer, are discussed herein.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method comprises initiating a monitoring session for a communication path including creating and storing monitoring session state data; sending, to a first responder computer of the communication path, a first request to initiate a first state servlet that is configured to monitor continuously during the monitoring session one or more characteristics of one or more processes that the first responder computer may perform; sending, to the first responder computer, monitoring instructions to monitor the one or more characteristics of the one or more processes; while the monitoring session is active and the first responder computer is in the communication path, receiving and collecting monitored information from the first responder computer; in response to determining that the first responder computer is not in the communication path or that the monitoring session has become inactive, automatically and autonomously ending the monitoring session.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method comprises initiating a monitoring session for a communication path including creating and storing monitoring session state data; sending, to a first responder computer of the communication path, a first request to initiate a first state servlet that is configured to monitor continuously during the monitoring session one or more characteristics of one or more processes that the first responder computer may perform; sending, to the first responder computer, monitoring instructions to monitor the one or more characteristics of the one or more processes; while the monitoring session is active and the first responder computer is in the communication path, receiving and collecting monitored information from the first responder computer; in response to determining that the first responder computer is not in the communication path or that the monitoring session has become inactive, automatically and autonomously ending the monitoring session.

Abstract: An example method for automating monitoring using configuration event triggers in a network environment is provided and includes receiving a change request for a configuration change, creating a change impact monitor according to a profile associated with the configuration change, taking a first snapshot of performance indicators when the configuration change is applied, taking a second snapshot of the performance indicators a predetermined duration after applying the configuration change, and generating a change impact notification describing the first snapshot and the second snapshot. The profile can specify the performance indicators for the configuration change. A change agent that creates the change impact monitor may also be invoked. In some embodiments, the method can further include receiving a soak command, and taking a third snapshot of the performance indicators before applying the configuration change.

Abstract: A system and technique for visualizing performance data over a network path are disclosed. More specifically, a network management system generates and displays an object that represents data for one or more performance characteristics related to a plurality of network nodes in the network path. In one embodiment, a graph having an x-axis and a y-axis is displayed, the x-axis being associated with two or more network nodes in the network path and the y-axis being associated with a first performance characteristic. Data corresponding to the first performance characteristic is plotted as data points corresponding to the network nodes associated with the x-axis. Data corresponding to a second performance characteristic may be represented via the size or the color of the data points. Alternatively, a characterization of the data corresponding to the first performance characteristic may be represented by the size or color of the data points.

Abstract: A network analytics controller in a computer network receives specification of a network analysis task. The controller creates maplets. Each maplet corresponds to an agent executing on a network node in the computer network. Each maplet specifies the network data collection configuration, collected data processing, and processed data reporting to be performed to support the network analysis task at the node executing the corresponding agent. The controller communicates the maplet corresponding to the agent over the computer network to each agent. Each agent receiving a maplet configures its corresponding network node for network data collection, collected data processing, and processed data reporting in accordance with the received maplet. Each agent receiving a maplet collects and processes network data, and reports the processed data to the controller, in accordance with the configuration. The controller aggregates, as the result of the network analysis task, the data reported from each agent.

Abstract: An example method for facilitating multi-stage convergence and intent revocation in a network environment is provided and includes sending an intent support request for an intent to a plurality of targets in a network, receiving intent pre-commits from a portion of the plurality of targets and intent pre-aborts from a remaining portion of the plurality of targets, each intent pre-commit indicative of ability to support the intent, and each intent pre-abort indicative of inability to support the intent, determining whether the intent is to be added to the domain in view of potentially impacted intents, and instructing the plurality of targets to commit to the intent if the intent is to be added to the domain.

Abstract: An example method for facilitating conflict avoidant traffic routing in a network environment is provided and includes detecting, at a network element, an intent conflict at a peer network element in a network, and changing a forwarding decision at the network element to steer traffic around the conflicted peer network element. The intent conflict refers to an incompatibility between an asserted intent associated with the traffic and an implemented intent associated with the traffic. In specific embodiments, the detecting includes mounting rules from the peer network element into the network element, and analyzing the mounted rules to determine intent conflict. In some embodiments, a central controller in the network deploys one or more intentlets on a plurality of network elements in the network according to corresponding intent deployment parameters.

Abstract: A network analytics controller is established in a network. The network includes a plurality of nodes. A plurality of network analytics agents is established; each agent at a node of the network. Network analytics configuration parameters, including a network analytics scope, are received at the networks analytics controller. A task is assigned to each agent at a node determined to be within the network analytics scope, the task comprising that portion of the network analytics specified in the network analytics configuration parameters relevant to the corresponding node. The assigned task is performed at each agent assigned a task. The networks analytics controller receives the results of each performed task, and aggregates the received results.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a request to provision a path associated with at least a portion of a packet network and determining whether a router is associated with the path in the packet network. The method also includes provisioning a first connection between a first gateway and a second gateway when the router is not associated with the path. The method further includes provisioning a second connection between the first gateway and the router and a third connection between the router and the second gateway when the router is associated with the path. In addition, the method includes at least one of associating and disassociating a first endpoint of the first gateway and a second endpoint of the second gateway with one or more of the connections.

Abstract: An example method for facilitating network control and management using semantic reasoners in a network environment is provided and includes generating a fully populated semantics model of the network from network data according to a base network ontology of the network, mapping the fully populated semantics model to a network knowledge base, feeding contents of the network knowledge base to a semantic reasoner, and controlling and managing the network using the semantic reasoner. In specific embodiments, generating the model includes receiving the network data from the network, parsing the network data, loading the parsed network data into in-memory data structures, accessing a manifest specifying binding between a network data definition format and ontology components of the base network ontology, identifying ontology components associated with the network data based on the manifest, and populating the identified ontology components with individuals and properties from the corresponding data structures.

Abstract: A method, device, and computer-readable medium are disclosed for automatically activating a probe configured to generate test network traffic in response to evaluating a policy that accounts for aggregated information that describes traffic that was processed by a network device. The method includes storing a policy, and evaluating the policy based at least in part on an item of received aggregated information that describes a set of packets that were processed by the network device and sent or received on a network. The probe is activated at least partially in response to evaluating the policy. The probe generates test packets to emulate one or more applications, services, or devices communicating on the network.

Abstract: An example method for automating monitoring using configuration event triggers in a network environment is provided and includes receiving a change request for a configuration change, creating a change impact monitor according to a profile associated with the configuration change, taking a first snapshot of performance indicators when the configuration change is applied, taking a second snapshot of the performance indicators a predetermined duration after applying the configuration change, and generating a change impact notification describing the first snapshot and the second snapshot. The profile can specify the performance indicators for the configuration change. A change agent that creates the change impact monitor may also be invoked. In some embodiments, the method can further include receiving a soak command, and taking a third snapshot of the performance indicators before applying the configuration change.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for transmitting system management requests to computer systems along a network path using a network control protocol, such as RSVP. For example, an originating node may send a single system management request along a path to a destination node using a network control protocol. Each computer system along the network path may analyze the network control protocol message to determine whether the message contains a system management request. If a system management request is found in the message, the computer system may perform the system management function identified in the request, and respond to it.