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Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4375-5924
AccessType
Open Access Dissertation
Document Type
dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Degree Program
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Year Degree Awarded
2020
Month Degree Awarded
May
First Advisor
Tilman Wolf
Subject Categories
Digital Communications and Networking
Abstract
Networked systems today are hyper-scaled entities that provide core functionality for distributed services and applications spanning personal, business, and government use. It is critical to maintain correct operation of these networks to avoid adverse business outcomes. The advent of programmable networks has provided much needed fine-grained network control, enabling providers and operators alike to build some innovative networking architectures and solutions. At the same time, they have given rise to new challenges in network management. These architectures, coupled with a multitude of devices, protocols, virtual overlays on top of physical data-plane etc. make network management a highly challenging task. Existing network management methodologies have not evolved at the same pace as the technologies and architectures. Current network management practices do not provide adequate solutions for highly dynamic, programmable environments. We have a long way to go in developing management methodologies that can meaningfully contribute to networks becoming self-healing entities. The goal of my research is to contribute to the design and development of networks towards transforming them into self-healing entities. Network management includes a multitude of tasks, not limited to diagnosis and troubleshooting, but also performance engineering and tuning, security analysis etc. This research explores novel methods of utilizing network state to enhance networking capabilities. It is constructed around hypotheses based on careful analysis of practical deficiencies in the field. I try to generate real-world impact with my research by tackling problems that are prevalent in deployed networks, and that bear practical relevance to the current state of networking. The overarching goal of this body of work is to examine various approaches that could help enhance network management paradigms, providing administrators with a better understanding of the underlying state of the network, thus leading to more informed decision-making. The research looks into two distinct areas of network management, troubleshooting and routing, presenting novel approaches to accomplishing certain goals in each of these areas, demonstrating that they can indeed enhance the network management experience.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7275/az4a-vq94
Recommended Citation
Dwaraki, Abhishek, "Improving Computer Network Operations Through Automated Interpretation of State" (2020). Doctoral Dissertations. 1946.
https://doi.org/10.7275/az4a-vq94
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_2/1946
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.