Method and apparatus for defining and enforcing policies for configuration management in communications networks

• US 6,243,747 B1
• Filed: 02/12/1999
• Issued: 06/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cabletron Systems Incorporated (Extreme Networks, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lewis, Lundy, Scott, Walter, Malik, Rajiv, Rustici, Eric, Thebaut, Suzanne, Kaikini, Prasan, Sycamore, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US09/249,219
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 709/221, 709/222, 709/220, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3051 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the configuration of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring the presence of processing resources, peripherals, I/O links, software programs verification or detection of system hardware configuration G06F11/2247
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0846 based on copy from other elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0866 Checking the configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/20 Network management software packages

Abstract

Apparatus and method for monitoring parameters that govern the operational characteristics of a network device, including the use of templates for generating configuration records of network devices of a selected model type. A database of models is provided, each model representing an associated network device and including attribute values for the parameters of the associated network device. Templates are used to screen a model in order to retrieve values for each of the attributes and create a configuration record. The configuration records may be stored in the configuration manager or other storage device, and/or transferred to the pre-existing model database for use by a network management system in reconfiguring the associated network devices. Additionally, a method and apparatus is provided that defines network groups, defines network policies for groups, determines conflicts, and resolves conflicts among groups and devices. This system for configuration management is less time consuming, expensive, and error prone than prior systems.

Claims

1. A method for managing configurations of network devices comprising the steps of:

applying a plurality of policies to a network device by associating a plurality of configuration records, each of which is associated with a respective one of the plurality of policies with the network device; and

loading a plurality of configurations described by the configuration record into the network device in a sequential manner, wherein the sequential loading is performed in an order that depends upon attributes of the plurality of configuration records.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of applying a plurality of policies includes the steps of:

applying a first policy having a first ordering index to the network device; and

applying a second policy having a second ordering index to the network device;

and wherein the step of loading includes loading a first configuration defined by the first policy and a second configuration defined by the second policy in an order defined by the first ordering index and the second ordering index.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of loading the configurations includes steps of:

when the first ordering index has a value that is less than the second ordering index;

loading the first configuration into each network device in the network device; and

subsequently loading the second configuration into the network device; and

when the second ordering index has a value that is less than the first ordering index;

loading the second configuration into the network device; and

subsequently loading the first configuration described into the network device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of applying a policy includes steps of:

attaching a first configuration record having a first ordering index to the network device; and

attaching a second configuration record having a second ordering index to the network device;

and wherein the step of loading includes loading a first configuration defined by the first configuration record and a second configuration defined by the second configuration record in an order defined by the first ordering index and the second ordering index.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the step of loading includes steps of:

when the first ordering index has a value that is less than the second ordering index;

loading the first configuration into the network device; and

subsequently loading the second configuration into the network device; and

when the second ordering index has a value that is less than the first ordering index;

loading the second configuration into the network device; and

subsequently loading the first configuration into the network device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of applying a policy includes applying a policy having a condition, and wherein the step of loading includes steps of:

determining whether the condition is satisfied; and

loading the configuration described by the configuration record into the network device when the condition is satisfied.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

triggering an enforcement;

determining whether any conflicts exist among policies that are applied to the network device;

when the step of determining determines that conflicts exist, resolving the conflicts that exist.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the order is determined by an ordering index.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the order is based upon an ordering dependency between attributes the attributes of the plurality of configuration records.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of applying includes constraining the applying by a set of conditions.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of constraining includes measuring conditions of the network device, comparing the measured conditions to the set of conditions, and, if at least one of the set of conditions are satisfied, applying at least one of the policies to the network device.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of applying at least one of the policies to the network device includes loading the plurality of configurations in a predetermined order.