Remote validation of network device configuration using a device management protocol for remote packet injection

Abstract

In general, this disclosure describes techniques for testing and verifying the functionality of networks and network devices without requiring the deployment of specialized testing components. For example, as described herein, a device management protocol (e.g., SNMP or NETCONF) typically used for remote configuration of devices has been extended to allow traffic patterns to be seamlessly injected into the existing network devices that form the enterprise network. For instance, a network management device sends configuration data to a managed network device in accordance with a device management protocol and calls, using a test packet parameter, a device configuration function exposed by a managed device. When the device configuration function is called, the managed device processes the test packet to produce a result in accordance with the configuration data as if the test packet had been received from the network, and the managed device returns a test packet processing result.