Policy-enabled communications networks
First Claim
1. In a data network having a plurality of selectively interconnected network devices, a method of operating a first network device comprisingstoring 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.
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Accused Products
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).
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Citations
44 Claims
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Specification