TC: Large: Collaborative Research: High-Level Language Support for Trustworthy Networks

计算机网络现在可以说是美国最关键的基础设施。 他们控制着我们公民、企业、政府和军队之间的所有通信。 然而，令人担忧的是，今天的网络非常不可靠和不安全。 脆弱性的一个重要来源是底层网络设备（例如，路由器和交换机）运行以迟钝的低级编程语言编写的复杂程序，这使得管理网络成为困难且容易出错的任务。简单的错误可能会导致灾难性的后果，包括使网络容易受到拒绝服务攻击，劫持，和大规模的outputs.The目标的研究是改变的方式，网络管理通过引入一个新的类的网络编程语言具有以下基本功能：（i）网络范围内，正确的结构抽象;（ii）支持容错和可扩展性; ㈢与终端主机和独立管理的网络的协调，以及在它们之间建立信任的机制; ㈣以严格的语义基础为基础的正式核查工具; ㈤能够生成在不同设备上运行的高效和可移植代码的编译器。为了演示如何构建具有这些功能的语言，研究人员正在为OpenFlow网络设计一种名为Frenetic的语言，并在几个新的安全应用程序上对其进行评估。该项目将通过以下方式产生广泛影响：（i）发现提高网络可靠性的关键技术;（ii）开放用于编程网络的接口，从而在以前不可能的地方实现基层创新;以及（iii）教育一个具有网络和编程语言高级技能的新研究人员社区。

Computer networks are now, arguably, the United States' most critical infrastructure. They control all communication amongst our citizenry, our businesses, our government, and our military. Worryingly, however, today's networks are remarkably unreliable and insecure. A significant source of vulnerability is the fact that the underlying network equipment (e.g., routers and switches) run complicated programs written in obtuse, low-level programming languages, which makes managing networks a difficult and error-prone task. Simple mistakes can have disastrous consequences including making the network vulnerable to denial-of-service attacks, hijackings, and wide-scale outages.The goal of this research is to transform the way that networks are managed by introducing a new class of network programming languages with the following essential features: (i) network-wide, correct-by-construction abstractions; (ii) support for fault-tolerance and scalability; (iii) coordination with end-hosts and independently-administered networks, as well as mechanisms for establishing trust between them; (iv) formal verification tools based on rigorous semantic foundations; and (v) compilers capable of generating efficient and portable code that runs on heterogeneous equipment. To demonstrate how to build a language with these features, the researchers are designing a language for OpenFlow networks called Frenetic, and evaluating it on several novel security applications. This project will have broad impact by (i) discovering key techniques for increasing the reliability of our networks, (ii) opening up the interfaces used to program networks, thereby enabling grass-roots innovation where it was previously not possible, and (iii) educating a new community of researchers with advanced skills in both networking and programming languages.