Method and apparatus for configuring network elements to support real time applications

• US 7,333,432 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2002
• Issued: 02/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koren, Dror, Mor, Yishay
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou; Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel; Jay P.
• Application Number:
  US10/210,505
• Time in Patent Office: 2,029 Days
• Field of Search: 370/230.1, 370/237, 370/238, 370/352, 370/401, 370/254
• US Class Current: 370/230.1
• 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 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5022 by giving priorities, e.g. assigning classes of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5087 wherein the managed service relates to voice services management of VoIP services H04M7/0081
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/087 Jitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 Real-time traffic

Abstract

Techniques for configuring a network to support real-time applications include determining a first role of multiple of roles performed by network elements to completely support a particular real-time application. Each role is associated with multiple groups of policies. Each group of policies includes one or more policies associated with a class of network elements. The network includes multiple classes. Each policy includes a configuration command that causes a network element of an associated class to perform an action on a data packet to support an associated role. A first subset of network elements is selected from the network. The first subset includes network elements that perform the first role. The selection is based at least in part on network links in the network. Each network element in the first subset is associated with a group associated with the first role.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a plurality of network elements linked together by a plurality of links to support real-time applications, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

determining a first role of a plurality of roles performed by one or more network elements to completely support a particular real-time application, wherein;

each role is associated with a plurality of groups of policies,

each group of policies includes one or more policies,

each group of policies is associated with a class of network elements of a plurality of classes of network elements among the plurality of network elements, wherein device attributes of a first class of network elements contradict device attributes of a second class of network elements, and

each policy includes a configuration command that causes a network element of an associated class of the plurality of classes to perform an action on a data packet to support an associated role of the plurality of roles for the particular real-time application;

selecting from the plurality of network elements a first subset of one or more network elements that will perform the first role based at least in part on the plurality of links; and

associating each network element in the first subset with an associated group of a first plurality of groups of policies associated with the first role.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of storing data indicating an association between a network element in the first subset and the associated group as determined during said associating step.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of issuing to a network element of the first subset a configuration command included in a policy in the associated group as determined during said associating step.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining a second role of the plurality of roles, the second role associated with a second plurality of groups of policies;

selecting from the plurality of network elements a second subset of one or more network elements that will perform the second role based at least in part on the plurality of links; and

associating each network element in the second subset with an associated group of the second plurality of groups of policies.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, said step of selecting the first subset further comprising the steps of:

presenting, to a network administrator, the one or more network elements for the first subset based at least in part on the plurality of links; and

receiving input from the network administrator indicating at least one of acceptance of the one or more network elements for the first subset, a network element to add to the first subset, and a network element to remove from the first subset.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, said step of associating each network element in the first subset with an associated group further comprising the steps of:

presenting, to a network administrator, data indicating a group of policies and a number of network devices of the first subset associated with the group; and

receiving input from the network administrator indicating at least one of acceptance of the group of policies, and rejection of the group of policies.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of roles include at least two of a connection to a device for the particular real-time application, a connection to a call manager for the particular real-time application, a local area network (LAN) connection, a virtual local area network (VLAN) connection, a connection from a LAN switch to a wide area network (WAN) router, a connection from a WAN router to a LAN switch, a WAN point-to-point connection, and a WAN frame relay connection.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the particular real-time application is Internet Protocol telephony.

9. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for configuring a plurality of network elements linked together by a plurality of links to support real-time applications, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

determining a first role of a plurality of roles performed by one or more network elements to completely support a particular real-time application, wherein;

each role is associated with a plurality of groups of policies,

each group of policies includes one or more policies,

each group of policies is associated with a class of network elements of a plurality of classes of network elements among the plurality of network elements, wherein device attributes of a first class of network elements contradict device attributes of a second class of network elements, and

each policy includes a configuration command that causes a network element of an associated class of the plurality of classes to perform an action on a data packet to support an associated role of the plurality of roles for the particular real-time application;

selecting from the plurality of network elements a first subset of one or more network elements that will perform the first role based at least in part on the plurality of links; and

associating each network element in the first subset with an associated group of a first plurality of groups of policies associated with the first role.

10. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, further comprising the step of storing data indicating an association between a network element in the first subset and the associated group as determined during said associating step.

11. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, further comprising the step of issuing to a network element of the first subset a configuration command included in a policy in the associated group as determined during said associating step.

12. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

determining a second role of the plurality of roles, the second role associated with a second plurality of groups of policies;

selecting from the plurality of network elements a second subset of one or more network elements that will perform the second role based at least in part on the plurality of links; and

associating each network element in the second subset with an associated group of the second plurality of groups of policies.

13. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, said step of selecting the first subset further comprising the steps of:

presenting, to a network administrator, the one or more network elements for the first subset based at least in part on the plurality of links; and

receiving input from the network administrator indicating at least one of acceptance of the one or more network elements for the first subset, a network element to add to the first subset, and a network element to remove from the first subset.

14. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, said step of associating each network element in the first subset with an associated group further comprising the steps of:

presenting, to a network administrator, data indicating a group of policies and a number of network devices of the first subset associated with the group; and

receiving input from the network administrator indicating at least one of acceptance of the group of policies, and rejection of the group of policies.

15. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the plurality of roles include at least two of a connection to a device for the particular real-time application, a connection to a call manager for the particular real-time application, a local area network (LAN) connection, a virtual local area network (VLAN) connection, a connection from a LAN switch to a wide area network (WAN) router, a connection from a WAN router to a LAN switch, a WAN point-to-point connection, and a WAN frame relay connection.

16. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the particular real-time application is Internet Protocol telephony.

17. An apparatus for configuring a plurality of network elements linked together by a plurality of links to support real-time applications, comprising:

means for determining a first role of a plurality of roles performed by one or more network elements to completely support a particular real-time application, wherein;

each role is associated with a plurality of groups of policies,

each group of policies includes one or more policies,

each group of policies is associated with a class of network elements of a plurality of classes of network elements among the plurality of network elements, wherein device attributes of a first class of network elements contradict device attributes of a second class of network elements, and

each policy includes a configuration command that causes a network element of an associated class of the plurality of classes to perform an action on a data packet to support an associated role of the plurality of roles for the particular real-time application;

means for selecting from the plurality of network elements a first subset of one or more network elements that will perform the first role based at least in part on the plurality of links; and

means for associating each network element in the first subset with an associated group of a first plurality of groups of policies associated with the first role.

18. An apparatus for configuring a plurality of network elements linked together by a plurality of links to support real-time applications, comprising:

a network interface that is coupled to a data network for receiving one or more packet flows therefrom;

a processor;

one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of;

determining a first role of a plurality of roles performed by one or more network elements to completely support a particular real-time application, wherein;

each role is associated with a plurality of groups of policies,

each group of policies includes one or more policies,

each group of policies is associated with a class of network elements of a plurality of classes of network elements among the plurality of network elements, wherein device attributes of a first class of network elements contradict device attributes of a second class of network elements, and

each policy includes a configuration command that causes a network element of an associated class of the plurality of classes to perform an action on a data packet to support an associated role of the plurality of roles for the particular real-time application;

selecting from the plurality of network elements a first subset of one or more network elements that will perform the first role based at least in part on the plurality of links; and

associating each network element in the first subset with an associated group of a first plurality of groups of policies associated with the first role.

19. An apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein the instructions further comprise the step of storing data indicating an association between a network element in the first subset and the associated group as determined during said associating step.

20. An apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein the instructions further comprise the step of issuing to a network element of the first subset a configuration command included in a policy in the associated group as determined during said associating step.

21. An apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to carry out the steps of:

determining a second role of the plurality of roles, the second role associated with a second plurality of groups of policies;

selecting from the plurality of network elements a second subset of one or more network elements that will perform the second role based at least in part on the plurality of links; and

associating each network element in the second subset with an associated group of the second plurality of groups of policies.

22. An apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein said step of selecting the first subset further comprising the steps of:

presenting, to a network administrator, the one or more network elements for the first subset based at least in part on the plurality of links; and

receiving input from the network administrator indicating at least one of acceptance of the one or more network elements for the first subset, a network element to add to the first subset, and a network element to remove from the first subset.

23. An apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein said step of associating each network element in the first subset with an associated group further comprising the steps of:

presenting, to a network administrator, data indicating a group of policies and a number of network devices of the first subset associated with the group; and

receiving input from the network administrator indicating at least one of acceptance of the group of policies, and rejection of the group of policies.

24. An apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein the plurality of roles include at least two of a connection to a device for the particular real-time application, a connection to a call manager for the particular real-time application, a local area network (LAN) connection, a virtual local area network (VLAN) connection, a connection from a LAN switch to a wide area network (WAN) router, a connection from a WAN router to a LAN switch, a WAN point-to-point connection, and a WAN frame relay connection.

25. An apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein the particular real-time application is Internet Protocol telephony.