Murayama, Yuko; (1992) Configuration detection and verification in computer networks. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

This thesis identifies a problem which we have termed Configuration Detection, and proposes a solution to it. The problem is: how can one learn what objects exist and where those objects are in a given environment? We consider the problem in a computer network environment, which is a collection of various hosts and routers connected together in a management domain. As internetworking has become popular in both wide area and local area networks, the growth in the number of network objects has been substantial and dynamic. In such an environment, the maintenance of knowledge of the current configuration of the network has become a practical problem. We identify that the real problems in configuration detection are inconsistency and invalidity. Inconsistency arises because a host can be attached to the network without registration; invalidity is caused by there being no verification of the address announced by a host. These shortcomings could lead to network-level threats such as unauthorised tampering with routing and control, unauthorised use of resources, unauthorised traffic generation, and unauthorised disclosure of information. We suggest the use of a procedure for the authorisation of network addresses to solve the network level threats. We analyse the flow of an address and suggest where and how authorisation over the network takes place. The flow is verified by using the formal analysis methods suggested recently by Burrows, Abadi, and Needham. Finally, the applicability of the model to other types of information than network addresses is examined.

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