Review Questions
Describe how you can determine the scope and speed of control plane state.
Is it possible to cause a network failure through a negative feedback loop? If so, how?
Describe the difference between summarizing and aggregating control plane information to control state.
Consider the State/Optimization/Surface (SOS) model. How would you describe summarization and aggregation within this model?
Consider the State/Optimization/Surface model (SOS). How would you describe hiding information through layered control planes within this model?
What might be some limiting factors in the formation of a positive feedback loop in a network control plane?
Research classful Internet Protocol addressing. How might the supernet/subnet concepts fit more “neatly” into this kind of scheme than they do with classes addressing schemes?
Research the two patents listed in the “Further Reading” section around reactive control planes and the caching of reachability information. Describe the solution presented in these patents to the problem described in the text.
Describe the importance of breaking up a network into failure domains.
Describe the relationship between information hiding and failure domains.