Method and apparatus for use in specifying and insuring service-level quality of service in computer networks
First Claim
1. A method for use in a policy goal-based management system employing service level goals for a computer network having one or more network resources comprising the steps of:
- enabling a system administrator to specify predefined service level goals for said computer network;
specifying a prescribed quality of service goal for a prescribed client and prescribed service;
executing policy goal-logic to automatically enforce said specified quality of service goal, wherein said policy goal-logic is comprised in a general purpose computer program;
monitoring a delivered quality of service for said specified quality of service goal being executed by said policy goal-logic, said monitoring a delivered quality of service including continuously monitoring states of said computer network resources assigned to said prescribed client and said prescribed service;
determining if said delivered quality of service is different than said specified quality of service goal; and
if so, said policy goal-logic executing prescribed actions regarding network resources assigned to said client for said prescribed service, wherein said actions are intended to adjust said delivered quality of service toward being equal to said specified quality of service goal, wherein said policy goal-action executes said prescribed actions without the system administrator having to specify said prescribed actions to said policy goal-logic intended to enforce said specified quality of service goal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The “what” and “how” of policy-based management is integrated in a single framework that enables a system administrator to specify service-level quality of service (QoS) goals for automatic enforcement. Automatic enforcement of the specified “high-level” QoS goals is realized through the execution of “low-level” rule-based or procedural logic, without the client having to specify the low level logic. Specifically, one embodiment of the invention employs a management server including a graphical interface that allows a user, e.g. a system administrator, to easily specify parameters for service-level QoS goals. A QoS goal is defined by the administrator selecting a client, a service and a QoS expression that specifies the desired service-level QoS. The state of the network is monitored and one or more defined QoS goals are selected for evaluation in a continuous process. The QoS delivered for the selected goal is determined and compared to the desired QoS for the selected QoS goal. Then, prescribed actions are taken or not depending whether the delivered QoS is equal to the selected QoS goal. If not, and the delivered QoS exceeds the selected QoS goal, a set of actions is determined and executed to reduce network resources assigned to the client and service of the selected goal. Similarly, if the delivered QoS is worse than the selected QoS goal, a set of actions is determined and executed to increase network resources assigned to the client and service of the selected goal.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method for use in a policy goal-based management system employing service level goals for a computer network having one or more network resources comprising the steps of:
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enabling a system administrator to specify predefined service level goals for said computer network;
specifying a prescribed quality of service goal for a prescribed client and prescribed service;
executing policy goal-logic to automatically enforce said specified quality of service goal, wherein said policy goal-logic is comprised in a general purpose computer program;
monitoring a delivered quality of service for said specified quality of service goal being executed by said policy goal-logic, said monitoring a delivered quality of service including continuously monitoring states of said computer network resources assigned to said prescribed client and said prescribed service;
determining if said delivered quality of service is different than said specified quality of service goal; and
if so, said policy goal-logic executing prescribed actions regarding network resources assigned to said client for said prescribed service, wherein said actions are intended to adjust said delivered quality of service toward being equal to said specified quality of service goal, wherein said policy goal-action executes said prescribed actions without the system administrator having to specify said prescribed actions to said policy goal-logic intended to enforce said specified quality of service goal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. Apparatus for use in a policy goal-based management system including service level goals for a computer network having one or more network resources comprising:
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means for enabling a system administrator to specify predefined service level goals for said computer network;
means for specifying a prescribed quality of service goal for a prescribed client and prescribed service;
means for executing policy goal-logic to automatically enforce said specified quality of service goal, wherein said policy goal-logic is comprised in a general purpose computer program;
means for monitoring a delivered quality of service for said specified quality of service goal being executed by said policy goal-logic, including means for continuously monitoring states of said computer network resources assigned to said prescribe client and said prescribed service;
means for determining if said delivered quality of service is different than said specified quality of service goal; and
said means for executing said policy goal-logic, being responsive to said delivered is quality of service being different, to cause said police goal-logic to execute prescribed actions regarding network resources assigned to said client for said prescribed service, wherein said actions are intended to adjust said delivered quality of service toward being equal to said specified quality of service goal, wherein said police goal-action executes said prescribed actions without the system administrator having to specify said prescribed actions to said goal-logic intended to enforce said specified quality of service goal. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification