Mission goal statement to policy statement translation

• US 20070106797A1
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Schofield, Bruce, Travostino, Franco, Monga, Inder
• Application Number:
  US11/469,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20070106797A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• 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 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components

Abstract

A mechanism and framework is disclosed for translating high level goal statements to policy rules. In a first step, high level goal statements are translated to network services. In a second step, the network services are translated to network parameters. In a third step, the network parameters are translated to policy rules. The first step may be facilitated with Web Ontology Language (“OWL”) and semantic templates. Advantages of automated mission goal statement to policy statement translation for surveillance missions include more reliable and faster planning and allocation of resources in support of the missions. Further, dynamic allocation of network resources facilitates adapting to changing conditions and more graceful degradation in adverse circumstances. The need for subject matter experts is also expected to be mitigated.

Claims

1. A method executed by at least one computing device for allocating resources to a surveillance mission which competes for resources with other missions, comprising the steps of:

in a first step, translating high level goal statements to network services;

in a second step, translating the network services to network parameters; and

in a third step, translating the network parameters to policy rules.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first step includes interpreting user input to produce process constraints with Web Ontology Language (“

OWL”

) and semantic templates.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first step includes characterizing individual portions of inputted data as either a quantitative process constraint or qualitative process constraint.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the first step includes organizing the constraints in terms of dependency relationships.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the first step includes associating a unique workflow descriptor with the mission.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the first step includes determining which general services are required, and then determining which support services are required based on both the constraints and the selected general services.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the second step includes determining load calculation estimates, power and range data, and layout rules.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the third step includes performing overload network loading calculations, determines minimum transmission powers, and calculating delay requirements.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the third step includes generating time-value curves.

10. Apparatus operative to allocate resources to a surveillance mission which competes for resources with other missions, comprising:

a mission goal definition module and a goal-to-service translator module operative in combination to translate high level goal statements to network services;

a constraint analyzer module operative to translate the network services to network parameters; and

a policy engine module operative to translate the network parameters to policy rules.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the mission goal definition module interprets user input to produce process constraints with Web Ontology Language (“

OWL”

) and semantic templates.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the mission goal definition module characterizes individual portions of inputted data as either a quantitative process constraint or qualitative process constraint.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the mission goal definition module organizes the constraints in terms of dependency relationships.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the goal-to-service translator module associates a unique workflow descriptor with the mission.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the goal-to-service translator is operative to determine which general services are required, and then determine which support services are required based on both the constraints and the selected general services.

16. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the constraint analyzer is operative to determine load calculation estimates, power and range data, and layout rules.

17. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the policy engine is operative to perform overload network loading calculations, determine minimum transmission powers, and calculate delay requirements.

18. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the policy engine is operative generate time-value curves.