Scaling Data Plane Verification via Parallelization

   The data plane verification of networks in hyperscale environments is challenging due to the complexity and size of modern networks. In this paper, we introduce Medusa, a novel verifier that efficiently analyzes large data plane models using parallel processing on multi-core CPUs. First, we propose a new data structure called RANGESET, which overcomes the parallelism limitations of existing popular data structures such as Binary Decision Diagrams (BDD) used in data plane verifiers. Next, we leverage multi-core processing by dividing the network into distinct groups and assigning each group to a separate thread for computation. The results are then integrated for comprehensive verification. By optimizing the use of multi-core systems, we enhance computational efficiency and accelerate the verification process. Experimental results demonstrate that Medusa outperforms existing tools in terms of speed and memory. For instance, in a network with O(10K) devices and O(1M) forwarding rules, Medusa can detect loops in approximately 5 seconds, outperforming other Data Plane Verifiers (DPVs) where some cannot model and analyze the network. Moreover, in networks that we could compare with other state-of-the-art DPVs, Medusa provides a substantial improvement, with speedups up to 600X, 4000X, and 800X compared to alternatives like Flash, APKeep, and Tulkun, respectively.