Network Reachability Impact Analysis

A system comprising:

• data processing hardware;
• and
• memory hardware in communication with the data processing hardware, the memory hardware storing instructions that when executed on the data processing hardware cause the data processing hardware to perform operations comprising:
• receiving a stream of consecutive network configuration snapshots for a network;
• determining whether a first data plane model protocol of a first network configuration snapshot of the network is the same as a second data plane model protocol of a second network configuration snapshot, the second network configuration snapshot of the network consecutive with the first network configuration snapshot;
• when the first data plane model protocol and the second data plane model protocol are the same, determining whether the second data plane model protocol of the second network configuration snapshot of the network is the same as a third data plane model protocol of a third network configuration snapshot, the third network configuration snapshot of the network consecutive with the second network configuration snapshot;
• when the first data plane model protocol and the second data plane model protocol are not the same:
• selecting a first network configuration snapshot of the network and a second network configuration snapshot of the network;
• generating a first reachability graph representing packet reachability of the network for the first network configuration snapshot;
• generating a second reachability graph representing packet reachability of the network for the second network configuration snapshot;
• computing a reachability differentiation graph identifying a net change to reachability from the first reachability graph to the second reachability graph;
• and
• generating a reachability differentiation report including a human-interpretable output of the net change to reachability.