These are the fundamental building blocks that allow Batfish to analyze and simulate your network infrastructure with precision and flexibility:

• Configuration Parser: Ingests configuration files from a range of network device vendors and converts them into a structured, normalized format for consistent analysis across different platforms.
• Snapshot: Represents a complete state of the network at a given moment, including all relevant configuration files and supplemental information. Snapshots are the foundation for Batfish’s analysis and queries.
• Data Plane Computation: Simulates the actual forwarding behavior of network devices under the provided configurations. This enables detailed analysis of routing, forwarding, ACL enforcement, and path selection.
• Control Plane Model: Reconstructs the routing and protocol logic, including OSPF, BGP, and static routing. This component determines how routing information is exchanged and influences data plane outcomes.
• Question and Query Framework: Provides a flexible API and set of commands that allow users to ask targeted questions about connectivity, reachability, ACL policies, routing outcomes, and potential configuration impacts.
• Output and Reporting: Delivers structured results such as tables, path traces, policy evaluations, and anomaly detections that empower engineering teams to understand, document, and troubleshoot complex networks.

This section explains essential terms that are frequently used when working with Batfish Engine. Understanding these terms will help you navigate its features and results more effectively.

This section provides commonly used commands and API functions that help automate analysis and interact with Batfish from your scripts or projects.

• bf_session: Establishes a session with the Batfish service, setting up the environment for subsequent actions.
• bf_init_snapshot(path, name): Uploads configuration files and initializes a new snapshot for analysis.
  Example usage:
  bf_init_snapshot("configs/", "mysnapshot")
• bf_set_snapshot(name): Selects the active snapshot to use for queries and analysis.
  Example usage:
  bf_set_snapshot("mysnapshot")
• bfq.initQuestion(): Prepares a network analysis query, covering scenarios such as reachability, routing, interface, or node properties.
• bfq.answer(): Executes the prepared question and fetches the answer, usually as a structured result such as a table or DataFrame.
• bfq.reachability(): Examines whether specific traffic is allowed between different points in the network under the current configurations.
• bfq.aclReachability(): Analyzes Access Control List behavior and filters, revealing how policies affect packet forwarding.
• bfq.nodeProperties(): Retrieves information about nodes and their properties in the network topology.
• bfq.routes(): Lists the routes known to selected devices within the snapshot, supporting routing analysis and troubleshooting.

These commands form the foundation for automating Batfish workflows, enabling efficient network validation, troubleshooting, and documentation within code-driven environments.

Batfish Engine works with a diverse set of network device vendors and platforms, enabling analysis and validation across both physical and virtualized environments.

• Arista EOS: Supports device configurations across Arista's modern switching platforms.
• Cisco: Compatible with IOS, IOS-XE, IOS-XR, NX-OS, and ASA platforms, providing broad coverage of Cisco’s routing, switching, and firewall solutions.
• Juniper JunOS: Works with EX, MX, PTX, QFX, SRX, and T-series devices for comprehensive analysis of switching and routing infrastructure.
• Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS: Parses and analyzes next-generation firewall configurations from Palo Alto devices.
• A10 Networks: Supports configuration validation for A10 devices.
• Fortinet: Processes FortiGate firewall configuration data to assess security policies and connectivity.
• F5 BIG-IP: Enables validation and analysis of application delivery controller configurations.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS): Supports modeling and analysis for VPCs, security groups, network ACLs, VPN and NAT gateways, and other AWS constructs.
• Check Point: Parses firewall and network security policies from Check Point platforms.
• Cumulus Linux: Allows configuration assessment for open networking-based switches.
• Free Range Routing (FRR): Provides support for open-source routing stacks.
• SONiC: Enables validation for Software for Open Networking in the Cloud environments.
• iptables: Analyzes host-based firewall rules on Linux devices.
• Limited Support Vendors: Devices from Aruba, Dell Force10, and Foundry receive basic compatibility, with ongoing efforts to expand features.

This broad compatibility lets Batfish Engine serve enterprises with complex, multi-vendor networks and extends its use to cloud and hybrid environments.

This section outlines practical scenarios where Batfish Engine adds value to network analysis, validation, and troubleshooting processes.

• Pre-Deployment Validation: Analyze proposed configuration changes before they are applied to live devices. Prevent issues like routing loops, ACL misconfigurations, or policy violations that could impact network stability.
• Compliance Auditing: Confirm that device configurations adhere to organizational security standards. Batfish examines network behavior to verify rules, segmentation, and policy compliance.
• Troubleshooting Connectivity: Diagnose the source of reachability problems within complex environments. Batfish can trace traffic paths, highlight blocked flows, and identify misconfigured rules or missing routes.
• Network Documentation: Automatically generate up-to-date reports and visualizations about network topology, routing, and access policies based on real configurations.
• Change Impact Analysis: Compare network behavior before and after proposed updates to predict possible service disruptions or conflicts, ensuring smoother rollouts.
• Cloud and Hybrid Environment Assessment: Evaluate and validate network setups spanning on-premises, cloud, and hybrid infrastructure, including segmentation and multi-vendor interoperability.

These scenarios illustrate how Batfish Engine empowers engineers to increase reliability, security, and operational efficiency in network environments of any scale.