Network communications management system and method

• US 20020174208A1
• Filed: 05/16/2001
• Published: 11/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Morlitz, David M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,480,707 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method of managing communications in a packet switching network, the method including: associating a connection protocol and an application name with connection information from an IP datagram, the connection information including an IP address of a computer originating the IP datagram, a port number in the computer originating the IP datagram, an IP address of a remote computer, and a port number in the remote computer; storing communication session data in a file storage of the computer originating the IP datagram, the communication session data indicating the connection protocol, the application name, and the connection information; storing the communication session data in a file storage of a packet transmission device; storing a policy statement in the file storage of the packet transmission device; and applying the policy statement to a plurality of TCP/IP packets including the connection information to manage communication of the plurality of TCP/IP packets.

Claims

1. A method of managing communications in a packet switching network, the method including:

associating a connection protocol and an application name with connection information from an IP datagram, said connection information including an IP address of a computer originating said IP datagram, a port number in said computer originating said IP datagram, an IP address of a remote computer, and a port number in said remote computer;

storing communication session data in a file storage of said computer originating said IP datagram, said communication session data indicating said connection protocol, said application name, and said connection information;

storing said communication session data in a file storage of a packet transmission device;

storing a policy statement in said file storage of said packet transmission device; and

applying said policy statement to a plurality of TCP/IP packets including said connection information to manage communication of said plurality of TCP/IP packets.

2. The method of claim 1, further including:

storing at least a portion of said plurality of TCP/IP packets in said file storage of said packet transmission device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said policy statement indicates a priority for said application name, and said applying said policy includes:

prioritizing said plurality of TCP/IP packets relative to other TCP/IP packets based on said application name.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said policy statement indicates a maximum size, and said applying said policy includes:

storing said plurality of TCP/IP packets in said file storage of said packet transmission device if said plurality of TCP/IP packets includes a number of bits exceeding said maximum size.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said policy statement indicates a priority for said connection protocol, and said applying said policy includes:

prioritizing said plurality of TCP/IP packets relative to other TCP/IP packets based on said connection protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said associating a connection protocol and an application name includes:

receiving indication of said connection protocol and said application name from an application initiating said IP datagram.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said associating a connection protocol and an application name includes:

determining said connection protocol and said application name from said port number in said remote computer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said associating a connection protocol and an application name includes:

selecting a default connection protocol and a default application name.

9. The method of claim 1, further including:

storing said communication session data in a file storage in each of a plurality of packet transmission devices; and

storing a policy statement in said file storage of each of said plurality of packet transmission devices.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said policy statement is a user policy statement and said method further includes:

storing an enterprise policy statement in said file storage of said packet transmission device; and

applying said enterprise policy statement to said plurality of TCP/IP packets.

11. The method of claim 1, further including:

polling said packet transmission device to determine the status of said TCP/IP packets.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said policy statement indicates a maximum size, and said applying said policy includes:

deleting said plurality of TCP/IP packets if said plurality of TCP/IP packets includes a number of bits exceeding said maximum size; and

directing another packet transmission device to prevent propagation of more TCP/IP packets including said connection information.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said file storage in said first packet transmission device is further configured to store at least a portion of said plurality of TCP/IP packets.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said policy statement indicates a priority for said application name, and said processor in said first packet transmission device is configured to prioritize said plurality of TCP/IP packets relative to other TCP/IP packets based on said application name.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein said policy statement indicates a maximum size, and said processor in said first packet transmission device is configured to store said plurality of TCP/IP packets in said file storage of said packet transmission device if said plurality of TCP/IP packets includes a number of bits exceeding said maximum size.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein said policy statement indicates a priority for said connection protocol, and said processor in said first packet transmission device is configured to prioritize said plurality of TCP/IP packets relative to other TCP/IP packets based on said connection protocol.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein said processor in said workstation computer receives said connection protocol and said application name from an application running on said processor in said workstation.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein said processor in said workstation determines said connection protocol and said application name from said port number in said remote computer.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein said processor in said workstation selects a default connection protocol and a default application name.

21. The system of claim 13, further including:

a second packet transmission device configured to receive said communication session data from said first packet transmission device, said second packet transmission device including;

a file storage configured to store said communication session data and said policy statement, and

a processor configured to identify said plurality of TCP/IP packets including said connection information and apply said policy statement to said plurality of TCP/IP packets.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein said file storage in said workstation computer is configured to store a user policy statement and said processor in said workstation computer is configured to apply said enterprise policy statement to said plurality of TCP/IP packets.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein said workstation computer polls said first packet transmission device to determine the status of said TCP/IP packets.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein said policy statement indicates a maximum size, and said processor in said first packet transmission device deletes said plurality of TCP/IP packets if said plurality of TCP/IP packets includes a number of bits exceeding said maximum size.

26. The storage medium of claim 25 further comprising instructions for causing a computer to implement:

storing at least a portion of said plurality of TCP/IP packets in said file storage of said packet transmission device.

27. The storage medium of claim 25, wherein said policy statement indicates a priority for said application name, and said storage medium further comprises instructions for causing a computer to implement:

prioritizing said plurality of TCP/IP packets relative to other TCP/IP packets based on said application name.

28. The storage medium of claim 25, wherein said policy statement indicates a maximum size, and said storage medium further comprises instructions for causing a computer to implement:

storing said plurality of TCP/IP packets in said file storage of said packet transmission device if said plurality of TCP/IP packets includes a number of bits exceeding said maximum size.

29. The storage medium of claim 25, wherein said policy statement indicates a priority for said connection protocol, and said storage medium further comprises instructions for causing a computer to implement:

prioritizing said plurality of TCP/IP packets relative to other TCP/IP packets based on said connection protocol.

30. The storage medium of claim 25, wherein said associating a connection protocol and an application name includes:

receiving indication of said connection protocol and said application name from an application initiating said IP datagram.

31. The storage medium of claim 25, wherein said associating a connection protocol and an application name includes:

determining said connection protocol and said application name from said port number in said remote computer.

32. The storage medium of claim 25, wherein said associating a connection protocol and an application name includes:

selecting a default connection protocol and a default application name.

33. The storage medium of claim 25, further comprising instructions for causing a computer to implement:

storing said communication session data in a file storage in each of a plurality of packet transmission devices; and

storing a policy statement in said file storage of each of said plurality of packet transmission devices.

34. The storage medium of claim 25, wherein said policy statement is a user policy statement, and said storage medium further comprises instructions for causing a computer to implement:

storing an enterprise policy statement in said file storage of said packet transmission device; and

applying said enterprise policy statement to said plurality of TCP/IP packets.

35. The storage medium of claim 25, further comprising instructions for causing a computer to implement:

polling said packet transmission device to determine the status of said TCP/IP packets.

36. The storage medium of claim 25, wherein said policy statement indicates a maximum size, and said storage medium further comprises instructions for causing a computer to implement:

deleting said plurality of TCP/IP packets if said plurality of TCP/IP packets includes a number of bits exceeding said maximum size; and

directing another packet transmission device to prevent propagation of more TCP/IP packets including said connection information.

13. A system for managing communications in a packet switching network, the system comprising:

a workstation computer including;

a processor configured to associate a connection protocol and an application name with connection information from an IP datagram, said connection information including an IP address of said workstation computer, a port number in said workstation computer, an IP address of a remote computer, and a port number in said remote computer, and

a file storage configured to store communication session data, said communication session data indicating said connection protocol, said application name, and said connection information; and

a first packet transmission device configured to receive said communication session data from said workstation computer, said first packet transmission device including;

a file storage configured to store said communication session data and a policy statement, and

a processor configured to identify a plurality of TCP/IP packets including said connection information and apply said policy statement to said plurality of TCP/IP packets.

25. A storage medium encoded with machine-readable program instructions for managing communications in a packet switching network, the storage medium including instructions for causing a machine to implement a method comprising:

associating a connection protocol and an application name with connection information from an IP datagram, said connection information including an IP address of a computer originating said IP datagram, a port number in said computer originating said IP datagram, an IP address of a remote computer, and a port number in said remote computer;

storing communication session data in a file storage of said computer originating said IP datagram, said communication session data indicating said connection protocol, said application name, and said connection information;

storing said communication session data in a file storage of a packet transmission device;

storing a policy statement in said file storage of said packet transmission device; and

applying said policy statement to a plurality of TCP/IP packets including said connection information to manage communication of said plurality of TCP/IP packets.