Technique for providing dynamic modification of application specific policies in a feedback-based, adaptive data network

• US 6,765,864 B1
• Filed: 06/29/1999
• Issued: 07/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rawat, Vipin, Harvey, Andrew G., Lee, Hsuan-Chung, Pereira, Leo, Natarajan, Shankar
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilson, Robert W.
• Application Number:
  US09/342,341
• Time in Patent Office: 1,848 Days
• Field of Search: 704/43, 709/222, 709/223, 709/224, 706/47, 370/224
• US Class Current: 370/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0233 Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• 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 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5025 by proactively reacting to service quality change, e.g. by reconfiguration after service quality degradation or upgrade
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/062 related to network traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring

Abstract

A feedback-based adaptive network is described wherein at least a portion of the network elements report operating information relating to network conditions to a centralized data store. The information which is reported to the data store is analyzed by a policy engine which includes a plurality of application specific plug-in policies for analyzing selected information from the data store and for computing updated control information based upon the analysis of the information. The updated control information is fed back to selected network elements to thereby affect operation of the selected elements. Additionally the adaptive, feedback-based network of the present invention may include a network quality monitoring system for evaluating performance characteristics or other aspects of the network based upon predetermined standards or criteria.

Claims

1. A method for providing dynamic feedback control of network elements in a data network, the data network including a plurality of network elements, each of said network elements having a plurality operating parameters associated therewith, said method comprising:

dynamically receiving information related to a first subset of network elements;

dynamically analyzing at least a portion of said received information based upon selected guidelines to determine whether a performance of at least a portion of said network conforms with a predetermined criteria; and

automatically and dynamically reporting results of said analysis to an administration system for dynamically responding to said results when the performance of the portion of said network fails to conform with the predetermined criteria, wherein the response is selected to dynamically alter a performance policy of the portion of the network to conform with the predetermined criteria, and wherein the reporting is dynamically triggered by the performance of the portion of said network failing to conform with the predetermined criteria, and wherein the predetermined criteria relates to a specified bandwidth use.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said received information includes operating parameter information related to said first subset of network elements, and wherein said analyzing includes analyzing at least a portion of said operating parameter information to determine whether a service quality of a portion of said network conforms with acceptable service level parameters.

3. The method of claim 2 further including modifying a configuration of at least one network element in response to a determination that said service quality of said network portion does not meet a specified service level requirement, wherein the modification is selected so that the at least one network element is caused to meet the specified service level requirement.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said analyzing includes analyzing said information to determine billing information associated with a portion of said network.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said analyzing includes analyzing said information to detect any security violations related to a portion of said network.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said analyzing includes analyzing said information to evaluate a fault management performance of a portion of said network.

7. The method of claim 1 further including receiving an event notification message relating to an error reported by a specific network element.

8. The method of claim 7 further including suspending analysis of information related to said specific network element in response to reception of said error notification message.

9. The method of claim 8 further including reporting said error to the system administrator.

10. The method of claim 8 further including reporting said error to a remote user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the network further including a policy engine having at least one policy for analyzing information from selected network elements and dynamically generating updated element control parameters used to affect at least one aspect of network performance, the method further comprising:

dynamically modifying said policy in response to a determination that said policy is not effective in affecting said aspect of network performance to conform with said predefined performance criteria.

12. The method of claim 11 further including reporting a non-effective policy evaluation to the system administrator.

13. The method of claim 12 further including receiving instructions from said system administrator for modifying said reported policy.

14. The method of claim 1 further including:

receiving instructions from a remote user relating to a modification of a policy within said policy engine; and

dynamically modifying said policy in accordance with said user instructions.

15. The method of claim 14 further including determining whether said remote user has authorization to implement said policy modification.

16. An apparatus for providing dynamic feedback control of network elements in a data network, the data network including a plurality of network elements, each of said network elements having a plurality operating parameters associated therewith, the apparatus comprising:

at least one CPU;

memory; and

at least one interface for dynamically receiving information related to a first subset of network elements;

the apparatus being operable to;

dynamically analyze at least a portion of said received information based upon selected guidelines to determine whether a performance of at least a portion of said network conforms with a predetermined criteria; and

automatically and dynamically report results of said analysis to an administration system for dynamically responding to said results when the performance of the portion of said network fails to conform with the predetermined criteria, wherein the response is selected to dynamically alter a performance policy of the portion of the network to conform with the predetermined criteria, and wherein the reporting is dynamically triggered by the performance of the portion of said network failing to conform with the predetermined criteria and wherein the predetermined criteria relates to a specified bandwidth use.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said received information includes operating parameter information related to said first subset of network elements, and wherein said analyzing includes analyzing at least a portion of said operating parameter information to determine whether a service quality of a portion of said network conforms with acceptable service level parameters.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, the apparatus being further operable to modify a configuration of at least one network element in response to a determination that said service quality of said network portion does not meet a specified service level requirement, wherein the modification is selected so that the at least one network element is caused to meet the specified service level requirement.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said analyzing includes analyzing said information to determine billing information associated with a portion of said network.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 being further operable to analyze said information to detect any security violations related to a portion of said network.

21. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said analyzing includes analyzing said information to evaluate a fault management performance of a portion of said network.

22. The apparatus of claim 16 being further operable to receive an event notification message relating to an error reported by a specific network element.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 being further operable to suspend analysis of information related to said specific network element in response to reception of said error notification message.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 being further operable to report said error to the system administrator.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 being further operable to report said error to a remote user.

26. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the network further including a policy engine having at least one policy for analyzing information from selected network elements and dynamically generating updated element control parameters used to affect at least one aspect of network performance, the apparatus being further operable to dynamically modify said policy in response to a determination that said policy is not effective in affecting said aspect of network performance to conform with said predefined performance criteria.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 being further operable to report a non-effective policy evaluation to the system administrator.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 being further operable to receive instructions from said system administrator for modifying said reported policy.

29. The apparatus of claim 16 being further operable to:

receive instructions from a remote user relating to a modification of a policy within said policy engine; and

dynamically modify said policy in accordance with said user instructions.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 being further operable to determine whether said remote user has authorization to implement said policy modification.

31. A computer program product for providing dynamic feedback control of network elements in a data network, the data network including a plurality of network elements, each of said network elements having a plurality operating parameters associated therewith, the computer program product comprising:

at least one computer readable medium;

computer program instructions stored within the at least one computer readable product configured to;

dynamically receive information related to a first subset of network elements;

dynamically analyze at least a portion of said received information based upon selected guidelines to determine whether a performance of at least a portion of said network conforms with a predetermined criteria; and

automatically and dynamically report results of said analysis to an administration system for dynamically responding to said results when the performance of the portion of said network fails to conform with the predetermined criteria, wherein the response is selected to dynamically alter a performance policy of the portion of the network to conform with the predetermined criteria, and wherein the reporting is dynamically triggered by the performance of the portion of said network failing to conform with the predetermined criteria and wherein the predetermined criteria relates to a specified bandwidth use.

32. The computer program product of claim 31 wherein said received information includes operating parameter information related to said first subset of network elements, and wherein said analyzing includes analyzing at least a portion of said operating parameter information to determine whether a service quality of a portion of said network conforms with acceptable service level parameters.

33. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the computer program instructions are further configured to modify a configuration of at least one network element in response to a determination that said service quality of said network portion does not meet a specified service level requirement, wherein the modification is selected so that the at least one network element is caused to meet the specified service level requirement.

34. The computer program product of claim 31 wherein said analyzing includes analyzing said information to determine billing information associated with a portion of said network.

35. The computer program product of claim 31 wherein said analyzing includes analyzing said information to detect any security violations related to a portion of said network.

36. The computer program product of claim 31 wherein said analyzing includes analyzing said information to evaluate a fault management performance of a portion of said network.

37. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the computer program instructions are further configured to receive an event notification message relating to an error reported by a specific network element.

38. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the computer program instructions are further configured to suspend analysis of information related to said specific network element in response to reception of said error notification message.

39. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the computer program instructions are further configured to report said error to the system administrator.

40. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the computer program instructions are further configured to report said error to a remote user.

41. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the network further including a policy engine having at least one policy for analyzing information from selected network elements and dynamically generating updated element control parameters used to affect at least one aspect of network performance, wherein the computer program instructions are further configured to:

dynamically modify said policy in response to a determination that said policy is not effective in affecting said aspect of network performance to conform with said predefined performance criteria.

42. The computer program product of claim 41, wherein the computer program instructions are further configured to report a non-effective policy evaluation to the system administrator.

43. The computer program product of claim 42, wherein the computer program instructions are further configured to receive instructions from said system administrator for modifying said reported policy.

44. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the computer program instructions are further configured to:

receive instructions from a remote user relating to a modification of a policy within said policy engine; and

dynamically modify said policy in accordance with said user instructions.

45. The computer program product of claim 44, wherein the computer program instructions are further configured to determine whether said remote user has authorization to implement said policy modification.

46. An apparatus for providing dynamic feedback control of network elements in a data network, the data network including a plurality of network elements, each of said network elements having a plurality operating parameters associated therewith, the apparatus comprising:

means for dynamically receiving information related to a first subset of network elements;

means for dynamically analyzing at least a portion of said received information based upon selected guidelines to determine whether a performance of at least a portion of said network conforms with a predetermined criteria; and

means for automatically and dynamically reporting results of said analysis to an administration system for dynamically responding to said results when the performance of the portion of said network fails to conform with the predetermined criteria, wherein the response is selected to dynamically alter a performance policy of the portion of the network to conform with the predetermined criteria, and wherein the reporting is dynamically triggered by the performance of the portion of said network failing to conform with the predetermined criteria and wherein the predetermined criteria relates to a specified bandwidth use.