Network policy implementation system for performing network control operations in response to changes in network state

• US 5,557,747 A
• Filed: 06/22/1993
• Issued: 09/17/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: St Bernard Software Incorporated (GoSecure, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: St Bernard Software Incorporated (GoSecure, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rogers, Lawrence D., Wellington-Oguri, Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Richard L.
• Application Number:
  US08/080,931
• Time in Patent Office: 1,183 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200, 395/51, 395/600, 395/200.11, 370/17, 340/825.06, 340/825.13
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/16 using machine learning or artificial intelligence

Abstract

An event-driven, multithreaded programmable system permits the network system operator to write concurrently-executing network policies for causing operations to be performed on a computer network in response to changes in state of the computer network. Changes in state are reported to the policy implementation system by monitors interfaced with the network operating system. A policy interpreter scans, screens and parses the network policy statements and builds data structures for managing the multithreaded system in response to state changes supplied by the monitors. The policy interpreter executor issues commands to action engines which in turn cause operations to be performed on the network.

Claims

1. A computer network policy implementation system for causing network control operations to be performed in response to changes in state of the network comprising:

a policy editor having user interface through which a user may cause a set of policy instructions to be stored to define the network policy, said stored set of policy instructions setting forth operations to be performed in response to changes in state of the network;

network monitoring means for monitoring at least one of a predefined set of changes in the network and for providing system state signals indicative of said changes;

action engine means for selectively causing at least one of a predefined set of network control operations to be performed;

a policy interpreter, receptive of said stored set of policy instructions and communicating with said network monitoring means, for building at least one data structure to represent said stored set of policy instructions in relation to store said system state signals;

said policy interpreter implementing a predefined language having at least a first mechanism to specify that action should be initiated in response to a state signal, and a second mechanism to specify that action should be terminated in response to a state signal whether or not the action has been initiated;

said policy interpreter including an executor means for managing a plurality of threads each representing at least a portion of the policy instructions, the threads executing concurrently and interactively with one another;

said executor means communicating with said action engine means to cause network control operations to be performed in response to changes in state of the network in accordance with said stored set of policy instructions.