Optimization of policy enforcement

• US 8,196,125 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2007
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Maes, Stephane H.
• Primary Examiner(s): KENDALL, CHUCK O
• Application Number:
  US11/677,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20080201179A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,931 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/151
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

Methods, systems, and machine-readable media are disclosed for improving the efficiency of policy enforcement. According to one embodiment, a method for improving efficiency during enforcement of a policy can comprise determining a topology for the policy. A plurality of equivalent topologies for the policy can then be determined. A cost function can be applied to each of the plurality of equivalent topologies and one of the plurality of equivalent topologies can be selected based on the cost function.

Claims

1. A method for improving efficiency during enforcement of a policy, the method comprising:

reading the policy from a policy store by a policy optimizer of a service gateway of a communications network;

determining by the policy optimizer of the service gateway a topology for the policy;

generating by the policy optimizer of the service gateway a plurality of equivalent topologies for the policy;

applying by the policy optimizer of the service gateway a cost function to the policy, wherein applying the cost function to the policy comprises applying the cost function to each of the plurality of equivalent topologies;

optimizing the policy by the policy optimizer of the service gateway based on the cost function wherein optimizing the policy based on the cost function comprises selecting one of the plurality of equivalent topologies based on the cost function; and

applying by a policy enforcer of the service gateway the selected policy to a message on the communications network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the cost function to each of the plurality of equivalent topologies comprises determining an amount of latency in execution of each topology and selecting the one of the plurality of equivalent topologies based on the cost function comprises selecting an equivalent topology with a least amount of latency.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the cost function to each of the plurality of equivalent topologies comprises determining a speed of execution for each topology and selecting the one of the plurality of equivalent topologies based on the cost function comprises selecting an equivalent topology with a highest speed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the cost function to each of the plurality of equivalent topologies comprises determining a CPU consumption for execution of each topology and selecting the one of the plurality of equivalent topologies based on the cost function comprises selecting an equivalent topology with a lowest CPU consumption.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the cost function to each of the plurality of equivalent topologies comprises determining a level of parallelization for each topology and selecting the one of the plurality of equivalent topologies based on the cost function comprises selecting an equivalent topology with a highest level of parallelization.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the cost function to each of the plurality of equivalent topologies comprises determining a level of parallelization for each topology and selecting the one of the plurality of equivalent topologies based on the cost function comprises selecting an equivalent topology with a least amount of parallelization.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the cost function to each of the plurality of equivalent topologies comprises determining an amount of delegation to external tasks during execution of each topology and selecting the one of the plurality of equivalent topologies based on the cost function comprises selecting an equivalent topology with a least amount of delegation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the cost function to each of the plurality of equivalent topologies comprises determining a level of serialization for each topology and selecting the one of the plurality of equivalent topologies based on the cost function comprises selecting an equivalent topology with a highest level of serialization.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the cost function to each of the plurality of equivalent topologies comprises determining a level of serialization for each topology and selecting the one of the plurality of equivalent topologies based on the cost function comprises selecting an equivalent topology with a least amount of serialization.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing by the policy optimizer of the service gateway one or more hard-coded, predetermined patterns of possible execution paths for the policy.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising implementing by the policy optimizer of the service gateway one or more equivalent topologies in dedicated hardware.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein optimizing the policy based on the cost function comprises executing the equivalent topologies implemented in hardware based on the cost function.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

identifying by the policy optimizer of the service gateway one or more of the hard-coded, predetermined patterns in the selected topology; and

pre-compiling by the policy optimizer of the service gateway the identified one or more hard-coded, predetermined patters for execution during enforcement of the policy.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein applying the cost function comprises identifying occurrences of one or more of the hard-coded, predetermined patterns in the plurality of equivalent topologies and selecting one of the plurality of equivalent topologies based on the cost function comprises selecting an equivalent topology with a greatest occurrence of hard-coded, predetermined patterns.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising pre-compiling by the policy optimizer of the service gateway the identified one or more hard-coded, predetermined patters for execution during enforcement of the policy.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising rearranging by the policy optimizer of the service gateway portions of the selected topology not including hard-coded, predetermined patterns to decrease a depth of the topology.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising rearranging by the policy optimizer of the service gateway portions of the selected topology not including hard-coded, predetermined patterns to increase parallelization of the topology.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein optimizing the policy based on the cost function is performed during authoring of the policy.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein optimizing the policy based on the cost function is performed before processing of the policy.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein optimizing the policy based on the cost function is performed during processing of the policy.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein optimizing the policy based on the cost function comprises delegating enforcement of at least a portion of the policy to optimized hardware.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein optimizing the policy based on the cost function comprises delegating enforcement of at least a portion of the policy to an optimized execution environment.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the cost function to the policy and optimizing the policy based on the cost function are performed in real time during enforcement of the policy.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the cost function to the policy and optimizing the policy based on the cost function are performed during authoring of the policy.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the cost function to the policy and optimizing the policy based on the cost function are performed during deployment of the policy.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy comprises Open System Architecture (OSA) orchestration.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy comprises a workflow.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy comprises a composer.

29. A system comprising:

a communications network;

a policy data store having stored therein a policy, the policy comprising a plurality of rules, each rule comprising at least one condition and at least one action associated with each condition; and

a service gateway coupled with the communications network and the policy data store, the service gateway executing a policy optimizer adapted to read the policy from the policy store, determine a topology for the policy, determine a plurality of equivalent topologies for the policy, apply a cost function to each of the plurality of equivalent topologies, and select one of the plurality of equivalent topologies based on the cost function and a policy enforcer adapted to apply the selected policy to communications on the communications network.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the policy optimizer is adapted to apply the cost function to each of the plurality of equivalent topologies by determining an amount of latency in execution of each topology and selecting the one of the plurality of equivalent topologies based on the cost function comprises selecting an equivalent topology with a least amount of latency.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the policy optimizer is adapted to apply the cost function to each of the plurality of equivalent topologies by determining a speed of execution for each topology and selecting the one of the plurality of equivalent topologies based on the cost function comprises selecting an equivalent topology with a highest speed.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the policy optimizer is adapted to apply the cost function to each of the plurality of equivalent topologies by determining a CPU consumption for execution of each topology and selecting the one of the plurality of equivalent topologies based on the cost function comprises selecting an equivalent topology with a lowest CPU consumption.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein the policy optimizer is adapted to apply the cost function to each of the plurality of equivalent topologies by determining a level of parallelization for each topology and selecting the one of the plurality of equivalent topologies based on the cost function comprises selecting an equivalent topology with a highest level of parallelization.

34. The system of claim 29, wherein the policy optimizer is adapted to apply the cost function to each of the plurality of equivalent topologies by determining a level of parallelization for each topology and selecting the one of the plurality of equivalent topologies based on the cost function comprises selecting an equivalent topology with a least amount of parallelization.

35. The system of claim 29, wherein the policy optimizer is adapted to apply the cost function to each of the plurality of equivalent topologies by determining an amount of delegation to external tasks during execution of each topology and selecting the one of the plurality of equivalent topologies based on the cost function comprises selecting an equivalent topology with a least amount of delegation.

36. The system of claim 29, wherein the policy optimizer is adapted to apply the cost function to each of the plurality of equivalent topologies by determining a level of serialization for each topology and selecting the one of the plurality of equivalent topologies based on the cost function comprises selecting an equivalent topology with a highest level of serialization.

37. The system of claim 29, wherein the policy optimizer is adapted to apply the cost function to each of the plurality of equivalent topologies by determining a level of serialization for each topology and selecting the one of the plurality of equivalent topologies based on the cost function comprises selecting an equivalent topology with a least amount of serialization.

38. The system of claim 29, wherein the policy optimizer is further adapted to store one or more hard-coded, predetermined patterns of possible execution paths for the policy.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the policy optimizer is further adapted to:

identify one or more of the hard-coded, predetermined patterns in the selected topology; and

pre-compile the identified one or more hard-coded, predetermined patters for execution during enforcement of the policy.

40. The system of claim 38, wherein the policy optimizer is adapted to apply the cost function by identifying occurrences of one or more of the hard-coded, predetermined patterns in the plurality of equivalent topologies and selecting one of the plurality of equivalent topologies based on the cost function comprises selecting an equivalent topology with a greatest occurrence of hard-coded, predetermined patterns.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the policy optimizer is further adapted to pre-compile the identified one or more hard-coded, predetermined patters for execution during enforcement of the policy.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the policy optimizer is further adapted to rearrange portions of the selected topology not including hard-coded, predetermined patterns to decrease a depth of the topology.

43. The system of claim 41, wherein the policy optimizer is further adapted to rearrange portions of the selected topology not including hard-coded, predetermined patterns to increase parallelization of the topology.

44. The system of claim 29, wherein the policy enforcer is implemented in a web service gateway.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein the policy optimizer is implemented in the web service gateway.