Automated Configuration with the PRESTO Network Management Platform

Award #: N/A
Amount Awarded: $100,000
Sponsoring Organization: AT&T Research
Grant Period: 2006-2008
Primary Investigator(s): Patrick McDaniel

Abstract

The development and maintenance of network device configurations is one of the central challenges faced by large network providers. Current network management systems fail to meet this challenge primarily because of their inability to adapt to rapidly evolving customer and provider-network needs, and because of mismatches between the conceptual models of the tools and the services they must support. The PRESTO network management platform attempts to address these failings in a comprehensive and flexible way.

PRESTO constructs device-native configurations based on the composition of configlets representing different services or service options. Configlets are compiled by extracting and manipulating data from external systems as directed by the PRESTO configuration scripting and template language. However, PRESTO is more than a template language. PRESTO coalesces pervasive, volatile, and often incomplete configuration requirements to adapt to the needs of production environments. In doing so, PRESTO molds theory and practice to provide a general framework for configuration management.

Related Publications

William Enck, Patrick McDaniel, Shubho Sen, PanagiotisSebos, Sylke Spoerel, Albert Greenberg, Sanjay Rao, and William Aiello, Configuration Management at Massive Scale: System Design and Experience. Proceedings of the USENIX Annual Technical Conference, June 2007.