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

• US 8,121,024 B1
• Filed: 03/07/2007
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Natarajan, Shankar, Harvey, Andrew G., Lee, Hsuan-Chung, Rawat, Vipin, Pereira, Leo
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Robert W
• Application Number:
  US11/715,735
• Time in Patent Office: 1,812 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/214
• 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, and updated control information may be generated. The updated control information may be fed back to selected network elements to thereby affect operation of the selected elements. In this way, the dynamic and automatic feedback control of network elements is provided. Events relating to changing conditions in the network may also be reported to selected elements. Additionally the adaptive, feedback-based network may include a network quality monitoring system for evaluating performance characteristics or other aspects of the network. If it is determined that a particular characteristic of the network does not conform with the standards established for that characteristic, the policy which controls that particular characteristic of the network may be automatically and dynamically modified to thereby affect the network performance.

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 determining, using at least a portion of said received information, whether a performance of at least a portion of said network conforms with a predetermined criteria;

automatically reporting, by a device having at least one processor, results of said determining to an administration system for dynamically responding to said results, wherein the reporting is dynamically triggered in response to a determination that 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

automatically and dynamically altering a performance policy of the portion of the network to conform with the predetermined criteria in response to a determination that the performance of the portion of said network fails to conform with the predetermined criteria;

wherein the predetermined criteria relates to a specified bandwidth usage.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining that the performance of at least a portion of said network conforms with the predetermined criteria; and

delaying taking action to alter the performance policy after it has been determined that the performance of at least a portion of said network conforms with the predetermined criteria.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the performance policy comprises a set of rules for analyzing specific information from selected network elements, and for generating updated control information in response to analysis of the information.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said received information includes operating parameter information related to said first subset of network elements;

and

wherein said determining 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.

5. The method of claim 4 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.

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

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

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

9. 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 at least one 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.

10. The method of claim 9 further including:

reporting a non-effective policy evaluation to the system administrator.

11. The method of claim 1 further including:

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

determining whether said remote user has authorization to implement said policy modification; and

dynamically modifying said policy in accordance with said user instructions.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance policy comprises protocol specific rules, business logic rules, event notification rules, or a combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance policy is stored in a policy library.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

automatically reporting results of said determining to a system administrator in response to a determination that performance of the portion of said network fails to conform with the predetermined criteria; and

receiving instructions from said system administrator for modifying said performance policy.

15. An 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 configured to;

dynamically determine, using at least a portion of said received information, whether a performance of at least a portion of said network conforms with a predetermined criteria;

automatically report results of said determining to an administration system for dynamically responding to said results, wherein the reporting is dynamically triggered in response to a determination that 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

automatically and dynamically alter a performance policy of the portion of the network to conform with the predetermined criteria in response to a determination that the performance of the portion of said network fails to conform with the predetermined criteria;

wherein the predetermined criteria relates to a specified bandwidth usage.

16. A system 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 system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one interface configured to provide a communication link to at least one other network device in the data network; and

memory;

the system being configured to;

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

dynamically determine, using at least a portion of said received information, whether a performance of at least a portion of said network conforms with a predetermined criteria;

automatically report results of said determining to an administration system for dynamically responding to said results, wherein the reporting is dynamically triggered in response to a determination that 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

automatically and dynamically alter a performance policy of the portion of the network to conform with the predetermined criteria in response to a determination that the performance of the portion of said network fails to conform with the predetermined criteria;

wherein the predetermined criteria relates to a specified bandwidth usage.

17. The system of claim 16 being further configured to:

determine that the performance of at least a portion of said network conforms with the predetermined criteria; and

delay taking action to alter the performance policy after it has been determined that the performance of at least a portion of said network conforms with the predetermined criteria.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the performance policy comprises a set of rules for analyzing specific information from selected network elements, and for generating updated control information in response to analysis of the information.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein said received information includes operating parameter information related to said first subset of network elements, the system being further configured to:

analyze 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.

20. The system of claim 19 being 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.

21. The system of claim 20 being further configured to:

analyze said information to determine billing information associated with a portion of said network.

22. The system of claim 16 being further configured to:

analyze said information to detect any security violations related to a portion of said network.

23. The system of claim 16 being further configured to:

analyze said information to evaluate a fault management performance of a portion of said network.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein the network further includes 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 system being further configured to:

dynamically modify said at least one 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.

25. The system of claim 24 being further configured to:

report a non-effective policy evaluation to the system administrator.

26. The system of claim 16 being further configured to:

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

determine whether said remote user has authorization to implement said policy modification; and

dynamically modify said policy in accordance with said user instructions.

27. A system 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 system comprising:

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

means for dynamically determining, using at least a portion of said received information, whether a performance of at least a portion of said network conforms with a predetermined criteria;

means for automatically reporting results of said determining to an administration system for dynamically responding to said results, wherein the reporting is dynamically triggered in response to a determination that 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

means for automatically and dynamically altering a performance policy of the portion of the network to conform with the predetermined criteria in response to a determination that the performance of the portion of said network fails to conform with the predetermined criteria;

wherein the predetermined criteria relates to a specified bandwidth usage.

28. The system of claim 27 further comprising:

means for determining that the performance of at least a portion of said network conforms with the predetermined criteria; and

means for delaying taking action to alter the performance policy after it has been determined that the performance of at least a portion of said network conforms with the predetermined criteria.

29. The system of claim 27 wherein the performance policy comprises a set of rules for analyzing specific information from selected network elements, and for generating updated control information in response to analysis of the information.