A System to Automatically Generate Configuration Instructions for Network Elements from Network Configuration Models

TL;DR

This paper presents an automated system that generates network device configuration instructions from network models, reducing manual effort and errors in network setup and modification.

Contribution

It introduces a UML-based modeling notation for network configurations and an automatic generation method for configuration procedures from these models.

Findings

Successfully generated configuration procedures for a campus network migration

Achieved accurate network configuration matching specifications

Constructed a network with the intended behavior

Abstract

In preparation for constructing or modifying information networks, network engineers develop configuration procedures for network devices according to network configuration specifications. However, as engineers typically create these procedures manually, the generated configuration procedures frequently diverge from the specified requirements. To improve this situation, this paper proposes a method for automatically generating configuration procedures consisting of network device configuration commands based on network configurations and their modification specifications. In this study, we employed the UML (Unified Modeling Language) object-oriented modeling language to develop a notation for network configuration modeling that ensures both strict specification adherence and ease of extension. Additionally, we implemented a method for automatically generating configuration procedures that match the specifications by utilizing network configuration models. As an evaluation experiment, we applied the proposed method to a configuration change scenario in a wide-area campus network at Shinshu University, where the network was migrated from static routing to dynamic routing using the OSPF protocol. As a result, all expected configuration procedures were obtained and a network exhibiting the intended behavior was successfully constructed.