Policy-enabled communications networks

• US 6,539,425 B1
• Filed: 07/07/1999
• Issued: 03/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Inventors: Weiss, Walter Johan, Stevens, Mark L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US09/349,272
• Time in Patent Office: 1,357 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/221, 709/222, 709/223
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0836 to enhance reliability, e.g. reduce downtime
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• 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 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4523 using lightweight directory access protocol [LDAP]

Abstract

Simple and complex policy mechanisms for policy-enabled advantageously comprise a Data Access Client Module (DACM) and Policy Interpreter and Processor (PIP) for establishing data paths between a network device and data stores containing device configuration information, and simple policy definitions, e.g., filter tables, and complex policy expressions. A uniform distributed data model provides device state information and policy information to be efficiently retrieved from virtually all network devices rather than solely from directory server(s). Using a registration and notification system, data elements (e.g., directory subtrees or executable modules) are associated with a particular owner network device and other network devices requiring access to data elements to derive needed state information for taking network policy actions. A data element is provided via messages sent to a target network device upon the occurrence of a relevant event (e.g., exceeding a prescribed bandwidth allocation or congestion level).

Claims

1. In a data network having a plurality of selectively interconnected network devices, a method of operating a first network device comprising

storing values for configuration attributes and state attributes for said first network device,

associating function values for at least one function of selected state attribute values with at least one network policy application,

selectively notifying at least one of said network policy applications of an event reflected by an associated function value, and

receiving policy information through a standard input interface at said first network device from at least one network policy application.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said configuration attributes comprise information used to influence the operation of said first device, said method further comprising selectively modifying said stored configuration attributes for said first network device in response to received policy information.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said function of at least one selected state attribute assumes values representative of a set of conditions existing at said first network device, said values being relative to at least one preselected threshold value.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said set of conditions represents at least one level of network traffic at said first device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said associating comprises storing information in a registry, said information identifying

said function values for said at least one function of selected state attribute values, and

said at least one network policy application.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one network policy application executes at at least one network device external to said first network device.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising

receiving messages from other network devices, which messages comprise information identifying additional network devices to be associated with respective ones of said function values, and wherein

said associating comprises adding said additional network devices to said registry in association with said respective function values.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said selectively notifying comprises sending messages through a standard output interface at said first network device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said selectively notifying comprises sending messages using means for sending non-policy network messages.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said receiving policy information through a standard input interface comprises

presenting a uniform API to received policy information, and

converting received policy information to control information for controlling operation of said first network device.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said control information comprises updated configuration attribute values, and said method further comprises means for updating said stored configuration attribute values.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said policy information received through said standard interface comprises structured data values.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said structured data values comprise at least one directory.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said at least one directory comprises a plurality of hierarchical directories.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein said policy information comprises at least one executable policy module.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said policy information received through said standard interface comprises at least one executable policy module and said method further comprises executing at least one of said received policy modules.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said policy information received through said standard interface comprises at least one Java applet.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein said receiving policy information through a standard input interface comprises

recognizing the one of a known plurality of protocols employed to send policy information to said first network device,

converting policy information received using said one of said plurality of protocols into control information specific to said first network device, and

modifying said configuration attributes in response to said control information.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein said function values for at least one function of selected state attribute values comprise said state attribute values for said selected attribute values.

20. In a data network having a plurality of selectively interconnected network devices, a first network device comprising

means for storing values for configuration attributes and state attributes for said first network device,

means for associating function values for at least one function of selected state attribute values with at least one network policy application,

means for selectively notifying at least one of said network policy applications of an event reflected by an associated function value, and

means for receiving policy information through a standard input interface at said first network device from at least one network policy application.

21. The network device of claim 20 wherein said configuration attributes comprise information used to influence the operation of said first device, said first network device further comprising means responsive to received policy information for selectively modifying said stored configuration attributes for said first network device.

22. The network device of claim 20 wherein said state attributes each comprise information representing the state of a selected set of conditions existing at said first device.

23. The network device of claim 20 wherein said function of at least one selected state attribute assumes values representative of said set of conditions relative to at least one preselected threshold value.

24. The network device of claim 23 wherein said set of conditions represents at least one level of network traffic at said first device.

25. The network device of claim 20 wherein said means for associating comprises a registry storing information identifying

said function values for said at least one function of selected state attribute values, and

said at least one network policy application.

26. The network device of claim 20 wherein said at least one network policy application executes at at least one network device external to said first network device.

27. The network device of claim 25 further comprising

means for receiving messages from other network devices, which messages comprise information identifying additional network devices to be associated with respective ones of said function values, and wherein

said means for associating comprises means for adding said additional network devices to said registry in association with said respective function values.

28. The network device of claim 20 wherein said means for selectively notifying comprises means for sending messages through a standard output interface at said first network device.

29. The network device of claim 20 wherein said means for selectively notifying comprises means for sending messages using means for sending non-policy network message traffic to other network devices.

30. The network device of claim 20 said standard input interface comprises a standard schema comprising

means for presenting a uniform API to received policy information, and

means for converting received policy information to control information for controlling operation of said first network device.

31. The network device of claim 30 wherein said control information comprises updated configuration attribute values, and said network device comprises means for updating said stored configuration attribute values.

32. The network device of claim 20 wherein said policy information received through said standard interface comprises structured data values.

33. The network device of claim 32 wherein said structured data value comprises at least one directory.

34. The network device of claim 33 wherein said at least one directory comprises a plurality of hierarchical directories.

35. The network device of claim 32 wherein said policy information comprises at least one executable policy module.

36. The network device of claim 20 further comprising means at said first network device for executing received policy modules, and wherein said policy information received through said standard interface comprises at least one executable policy module.

37. The network device of claim 20 further comprising a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) at said first network device, and wherein said policy information received through said standard interface comprises at least one Java applet.

38. The network device of claim 20 wherein said means for receiving policy information through a standard input interface comprises

means for recognizing the one of a known plurality of protocols employed to send policy information to said first network device,

means for converting policy information received using said one of said plurality of protocols into control information specific to said first network device, and

means for modifying said configuration attributes in response to said control information.

39. The network device of claim 20 wherein said function values for at least one function of selected state attribute values comprise said state attribute values for said selected attribute values.

40. A uniform distributed network data model for use at a plurality of network devices interconnected in a network, the network data model at a first network device comprising

device-specific configuration attribute values corresponding to said first network device,

state attribute values corresponding to the state of said first network device,

registry information relating selected ones of said state attribute values to network policy applications executing in said network, selected portions of said registry information being available through a uniform data interface to related respective ones of said policy applications,

each of said configuration attribute values for said first network device being susceptible of change in response to information received at said first network device from at least one of said network policy applications.

41. The network data model of claim 40 wherein each of said configuration attribute values for said particular network device is susceptible of change in response to execution of executable code received in information from said at least one of said policy applications.

42. The network data model of claim 41 wherein said executable code received comprises Java applets executable at said first network device.

43. A method for enabling a network comprising a plurality of network devices to operate in accordance with at least one network policy application the method comprising

storing at each of said plurality of network devices

device-specific configuration attribute values corresponding to the respective one of said network devices, each of said configuration attribute values for a particular network device being susceptible of change in response to messages received at said particular network device from at least one of said network policy applications,

state attribute values corresponding to the state of the respective one of said network devices,

registry information relating said state attribute values to at least one of said network policy applications,

said state attribute values being available for access by respective ones of said network policy applications to which said state attribute values are related,

receiving through a standard input interface from at least one of said network policy applications policy information for updating said device specific configuration information.

44. The method of claim 43 further comprising sending a notification to said at least one network policy application of events occurring at at least one of said network policy applications.