Policy-Management Infrastructure

• US 20080256593A1
• Filed: 04/16/2007
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Vinberg, Anders B., Burns, Steven P., Mohammed, Mazhar Naveed
• Granted Patent: US 8,307,404 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

Described herein are one or more implementations of a policy-management infrastructure that provides a universal policy-based solution across a spectrum of scenarios in a computing environment. At least one implementation of the policy-management infrastructure defines how policy-based data is structured or layered relative towards the data in other layers. Furthermore, a described implementation provides a mechanism for determining “overlap” and “conflicts” in policies.

Claims

1. One or more processor-readable media having processor-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method comprising:

generating multiple meta-policies, wherein a meta-policy controls the application of policies to one or more target computing nodes;

analyzing—

in the context of the multiple meta-policies—

subject policies for the one or more target computing nodes;

based upon the analyzing act, determining existence of overlap in the multiple meta-policies and conflicts in the subject policies;

based upon the determining act, facilitating a computation of a resultant set of policies (RSOP).

2. One or more media as recited in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises distributing—

to a policy consumer—

the RSOP for the one or more target computing nodes.

3. One or more media as recited in claim 1, wherein the generating act comprises producing a multi-layered data model representing the multiple meta-policies.

4. One or more media as recited in claim 1, wherein facilitating act comprises calculating, at least in part, the RSOP.

5. One or more media as recited in claim 1, wherein facilitating act comprises transmitting subject policies to a policy consumer, thereby enabling the policy consumer to calculate, at least in part, the RSOP.

6. One or more media as recited in claim 1, wherein the multiple meta-policies and the subject policies utilize a common namespace which is used by one or more resource managers.

7. One or more media as recited in claim 1, wherein the multiple meta-policies and the subject policies utilize a common namespace for scheduling, directory services, system definition model, or a combination thereof.

8. One or more media as recited in claim 1, wherein the multiple meta-policies and the subject policies utilize a common namespace which is used by one or more resource managers, the method further comprising providing installation services for analyzing common namespaces for overlap and coverage.

9. One or more media as recited in claim 1, wherein the multiple meta-policies and the subject policies utilize a common namespace which is used by one or more resource managers, the method further comprising providing installation services for analyzing domain-specific policies for conflict.

10. One or more media as recited in claim 1, wherein the generating act comprises producing a data model representing the multiple meta-policies, the data model has at least two multiple data layers comprising a management layer and a merge &

conflict layer.

11. One or more processor-readable media having processor-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method comprising:

generating multiple meta-policies, wherein a meta-policy controls the application of policies to one or more target computing nodes, the generating comprising producing a data model representing the multiple meta-policies, the data model having at least three of the following multiple data layers;

policy management meta-policy layer configured to store data regarding policy management;

merge &

conflict-resolution meta-policy layer configured to store a data concerning policy merging and conflict resolution;

effective schedule &

conditions meta-policy layer configured to store data defining effective schedule and conditions for policies;

applicability &

adaptation meta-policy layer configured to store data regarding applicability and adaptation of policies;

consistency meta-policy configured to store data regarding consistency of policies;

targeting &

distribution meta-policy layer configured to store data regarding targeting and distribution policies;

release &

enactment meta-policy layer configured to store data regarding delivery of policies;

change &

approval workflow meta-policy layer configured to store data regarding life cycles of policies;

analyzing—

in the context of the multiple meta-policies—

subject policies for the one or more target computing nodes;

based upon the analyzing act, determining existence of overlap in the multiple meta-policies and conflicts in the subject policies;

based upon the determining act, facilitating a computation of a resultant set of policies (RSOP).

12. A computer-implemented policy-management method comprising:

generating multiple meta-policies, wherein a meta-policy controls the application of policies to one or more target computing nodes, the generating act comprises producing a multi-layered data model representing the multiple meta-policies, the data model has multiple ordered data layers;

analyzing—

in the context of the multiple meta-policies—

subject policies for the one or more target computing nodes;

based upon the analyzing act, determining existence of overlap in the multiple meta-policies and conflicts in the subject policies;

based upon the determining act, facilitating a computation of a resultant set of policies (RSOP);

distributing—

to a policy consumer—

the RSOP for the one or more target computing nodes.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein facilitating act comprises calculating, at least in part, the RSOP.

14. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein facilitating act comprises transmitting subject policies to a policy consumer, thereby enabling the policy consumer to calculate, at least in part, the RSOP.

15. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the multiple meta-policies and the subject policies utilize a common namespace which is used by one or more resource managers.

16. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the multiple meta-policies and the subject policies utilize a common namespace for scheduling, directory services, system definition model, or a combination thereof.

17. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the multiple meta-policies and the subject policies utilize a common namespace which is used by one or more resource managers, the method further comprising providing installation services for analyzing common namespaces for overlap and coverage.

18. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the multiple meta-policies and the subject policies utilize a common namespace which is used by one or more resource managers, the method further comprising providing installation services for analyzing domain-specific policies for conflict.

19. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the data model has at least two multiple ordered data layers comprising a management layer and a merge &

conflict layer.

20. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the data model having at least two of the following multiple data layers:

policy management meta-policy layer configured to store data regarding policy management;

merge &

conflict-resolution meta-policy layer configured to store a data concerning policy merging and conflict resolution;

effective schedule &

conditions meta-policy layer configured to store data defining effective schedule and conditions for policies;

applicability &

adaptation meta-policy layer configured to store data regarding applicability and adaptation of policies;

consistency meta-policy configured to store data regarding consistency of policies;

targeting &

distribution meta-policy layer configured to store data regarding targeting and distribution policies;

release &

enactment meta-policy layer configured to store data regarding delivery of policies;

change &

approval workflow meta-policy layer configured to store data regarding life cycles of policies.