Methods, apparatuses and systems facilitating classification of web services network traffic

• US 7,457,870 B1
• Filed: 09/10/2004
• Issued: 11/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Packeteer Incorporated (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Bruck, Edward G., Lownsbrough, Derek Leigh
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tiv; Backhean
• Application Number:
  US10/938,968
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/225, 709/217, 713/153
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5058 Service discovery by the service manager
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/028 by filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2433 Allocation of priorities to traffic types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2475 for supporting traffic characterised by the type of applications

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses and systems that facilitate the classification of web services network traffic. In one implementation, the present invention provides an automated mechanism that facilitates synchronization of a web services traffic classification database with the current or latest definitions of one to a plurality of web services of interest. In one implementation, the present invention processes interface definitions corresponding to a given Web service to construct a traffic classification configuration for the Web service, including one or more traffic classes and corresponding matching rules or attributes for each traffic class. In one implementation, the present invention automatically creates traffic classes and matching rules that allow for differentiation between the operations supported by a Web service. Implementations of the present invention provide a mechanism allowing for classification of Web services network traffic on a granular basis to enhance network monitoring and analysis tasks, as well as network control functions, such as bandwidth management, security and other functions.

Claims

1. A method comprising

discovering, at a network bandwidth management device, one or more web services based on web service invocation messages received at the network bandwidth management device, wherein the network bandwidth management device enforces bandwidth utilization controls on data flows associated with corresponding traffic classes;

presenting, in a user interface, one or more of the web service identifiers corresponding to the one or more discovered web services, wherein the user interface allows for selection of one or more web service identifiers;

configuring, responsive to selection of a web service identifier, the network bandwidth management device to identify the web service corresponding to the selected web service identifier by accessing an interface definition document defining the attributes of the web service;

processing the interface definition document to identify at least one attribute of the web service;

creating a traffic class corresponding to the web service;

creating at least one matching rule defining an attribute of the web service;

associating the at least one matching rule to the traffic class in the network bandwidth management device;

subscribing to an update service hosted by a web services registry to automatically receive updates to the interface definition document corresponding to the web service;

after receipt of an update to the interface definition document from the web service registry, updating the configuration of the network bandwidth management device traffic based on the update to the interface definition document;

at least one traffic class corresponding to the web service; and

configuring a network traffic classification mechanism to identify the at least one traffic class based on at least one attribute obtained from the web services definition document.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the configuring step comprises

defining at least a second traffic class corresponding to an attribute of the web service;

and

associating the at least a second traffic class as a child traffic class of the traffic class corresponding to the web service in a hierarchical traffic classification scheme.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the attribute in the second defining step is an operation of the web service.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the attribute in the second defining step is a binding supported by the web service.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the web services interface definition document is a WSDL document.

6. A method facilitating the classification of web services network traffic, comprising

monitoring a data communications path for data flows associated with web services network traffic;

responsive to discovering a web service, automatically searching a web services registry to obtain an interface definition document corresponding to the web service discovered in the data flows;

consuming the interface definition document defining the attributes of a web service;

defining at least one traffic class corresponding to the web service;

presenting, in a user interface, a web service identifier corresponding to the one or more discovered web services, wherein the user interface allows for selection of one or more web service identifiers;

configuring, responsive to selection of a web service identifier, a network traffic classification mechanism to identify the web service corresponding to the web service identifier by creating a traffic class corresponding to the web service;

creating at least one matching rule defining an attribute of the web service;

associating the at least one matching rule to the traffic class in the traffic classification mechanism; and

subscribing to an update service hosted by the web services registry to receive updates to the web service.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising

maintaining a data structure comprising, for each web service detected in the data flows, a web service identifier corresponding to the web service;

and

scanning the data structure for newly discovered web service identifiers.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising

after receipt of an update to the web service definition from the web service registry, updating the configuration of a network traffic classification mechanism based on the update to the web service definition.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the configuring step further defining at least a second traffic class corresponding to an attribute of the web service;

and associating the at least a second traffic class as a child traffic class of the traffic class corresponding to the web service in a hierarchical traffic classification scheme.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the attribute in the second defining step is an operation of the web service.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the attribute in the second defining step is a binding supported by the web service.

12. The method of claim 6 wherein the web services interface definition document is a WSDL document.

13. An apparatus facilitating the classification of web services network traffic, comprising

a packet processor operative to

detect data flows in network traffic traversing a network;

a traffic classification database operative to

match data flows against a plurality of traffic classes, wherein each traffic class in the plurality of traffic classes is defined by at least one matching attribute;

a web services classification module operative to

automatically discover a web service in the data flows traversing the network;

automatically search a web services registry to obtain an interface definition document corresponding to the web service identified in the data flows;

consume the interface definition document defining the attributes of a web service;

define at least one traffic class corresponding to the web service;

present, in a user interface, web service identifiers corresponding to the discovered web services, wherein the user interface allows for selection of one or more web service identifiers;

configure, responsive to selection of a web service identifier, the traffic classification database to identify the web service corresponding to the web service identifier by creating a traffic class corresponding to the web service;

creating at least one matching rule defining an attribute of the web service;

associating the at least one matching rule to the traffic class in the traffic classification mechanism; and

subscribe to an update service hosted by the web services registry to receive updates to the web service.

14. The apparatus of claim 13

wherein the web services classification module is operative to

define at least a second traffic class corresponding to an attribute of the web service;

and

associate the at least a second traffic class as a child traffic class of the traffic class corresponding to the web service in a hierarchical traffic classification scheme.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising a flow control module operative to apply bandwidth utilization controls to the data flows based on traffic classes associated by the traffic classification database.