Network Verification in the Light of Program Verification

The fastest tools for network reachability queries use adhoc algorithms to compute all packets from a source S that can reach a destination D. This paper examines whether network reachability can be solved efficiently using existing verification tools. While most verification tools only compute reachability (“Can S reach D?”), we efficiently generalize them to compute all reachable packets. Using new and old benchmarks, we compare model checkers, SAT solvers and various Datalog implementations. The only existing verification method that worked competitively on all benchmarks in seconds was Datalog with a new composite Filter-Project operator and a Difference of Cubes representation. While Datalog is slightly slower than the Hassel C tool, it is far more flexible. We also present new results that more precisely characterize the computational complexity of network verification. This paper also provides a gentle introduction to program verification for the networking community.