Method and apparatus for configuring network elements to support real time applications based on meta-templates

• US 7,477,600 B1
• Filed: 01/13/2003
• Issued: 01/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koren, Dror, Mor, Yishay
• Primary Examiner(s): Orgad; Edan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel; Jay P
• Application Number:
  US10/341,851
• Time in Patent Office: 2,192 Days
• Field of Search: 370/231, 370/235
• US Class Current: 370/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• 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 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2433 Allocation of priorities to traffic types

Abstract

Techniques for configuring a network to support real-time applications include maintaining multiple templates and a meta-template. Maintaining each template includes associating a class of network elements with an action to perform on a network data packet by a network element that belongs to the class. The class is defined by a first constraint set on one or more first properties of the network elements. Maintaining the meta-template includes associating external information with an associated template. The external information indicates a second constraint set on one or more second properties different from the one or more first properties. The network elements are automatically configured based at least in part on the meta-template. These techniques allow two members of the same class to be automatically configured for different QoS policies based on such external information as a property of a peer device or data rate on a connected link.

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:

maintaining a plurality of Quality of Service (QoS) policy templates, wherein

maintaining each QoS policy template further comprises associating a class of network elements with a QoS action to perform on a network data packet by a network element that belongs to the class, and

the class of network elements is defined by a first constraint set on one or more first properties of the network elements belonging to the class;

maintaining a meta-template, comprising associating external information with an associated template of the plurality of QoS policy templates, wherein the external information indicates a second constraint set which contains data that is not intrinsic to any network element on one or more second properties different from the one or more first properties; and

automatically configuring the plurality of network elements based at least in part on the meta-template.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second constraint set includes a constraint on a data rate of the link connected to the network element.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second constraint set includes a constraint on a different network element connected by the link to the network element.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, said step of automatically configuring the plurality of network elements further comprising:

selecting from the plurality of network elements a particular network element connected to a particular link;

selecting a particular meta-template for the particular network element based on the particular link and the external information of the particular meta-template;

selecting a particular template based on the particular network element and the particular meta-template; and

configuring the particular network element based on the particular template.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, said step of selecting the particular meta-template further comprising selecting the particular meta-template based on the one or more second properties related to the particular link satisfying the second constraint set in the external information of the particular meta-template.

6. A method as recited in claim 4, said step of selecting the particular template further comprising selecting the particular template that is associated with the external information in the particular meta-template and that defines a particular class of network elements that includes the particular network element.

7. A method as recited in claim 4, said step of configuring the particular network element based on the particular template further comprising:

adding the particular network element to a particular policy group that configures network elements in the particular class to perform a particular action associated with the particular class in the particular template; and

configuring the particular network element based on the particular policy group.

8. A method as recited in claim 4, said step of selecting from the plurality of network elements a particular network element further comprising:

determining a first role of a plurality of roles performed by one or more network elements to completely support a 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

selecting the particular network element from the first subset.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, said step of selecting a particular meta-template further comprising selecting the particular meta-template from a set of one or more meta-templates associated with the first role.

10. 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:

selecting from the plurality of network elements a particular network element connected to a particular link;

selecting a particular meta-template for the particular network element based on the particular link and external information included in the particular meta-template;

selecting a particular template from a plurality of templates based on the particular network element and the particular meta-template; and

automatically configuring the particular network element based on the particular template,

wherein

each template of the plurality of templates associates a class of network elements with an action to perform on a network data packet by a network element that belongs to the class,

the class of network elements is defined by a first constraint set on one or more first properties of the network elements;

the meta-template associates the external information with an associated template of the plurality of templates, and

the external information indicates a second constraint set on one or more second properties different from the one or more first properties.

11. A computer-readable storage 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:

maintaining a plurality of Quality of Service (QoS) policy templates, wherein

maintaining each QoS policy template further comprises associating a class of network elements with a QoS action to perform on a network data packet by a network element that belongs to the class, and

the class of network elements is defined by a first constraint set on one or more first properties of the network elements belonging to the class;

maintaining a meta-template, comprising associating external information with an associated template of the plurality of QoS policy templates, wherein the external information indicates a second constraint set which contains data that is not intrinsic to any network element on one or more second properties different from the one or more first properties; and

automatically configuring the plurality of network elements based at least in part on the meta-template.

12. A computer-readable storage 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:

selecting from the plurality of network elements a particular network element connected to a particular link;

selecting a particular meta-template for the particular network element based on the particular link and external information included in the particular meta-template;

selecting a particular template from a plurality of templates based on the particular network element and the particular meta-template; and

automatically configuring the particular network element based on the particular template,

wherein

each template of the plurality of templates associates a class of network elements with an action to perform on a network data packet by a network element that belongs to the class,

the class of network elements is defined by a first constraint set on one or more first properties of the network elements;

the meta-template associates the external information with an associated template of the plurality of templates, and

the external information indicates a second constraint set on one or more second properties different from the one or more first properties.

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

means for maintaining a plurality of Quality of Service (QoS) policy templates, wherein

maintaining each QoS policy template further comprises associating a class of network elements with a QoS action to perform on a network data packet by a network element that belongs to the class, and

the class of network elements is defined by a first constraint set on one or more first properties of the network elements belonging to the class;

means for maintaining a meta-template, comprising associating external information with an associated template of the plurality of QoS policy templates, wherein the external information indicates a second constraint set which contains data that is not intrinsic to any network element on one or more second properties different from the one or more first properties; and

means for automatically configuring the plurality of network elements based at least in part on the meta-template.

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

means for selecting from the plurality of network elements a particular network element connected to a particular link;

means for selecting a particular meta-template for the particular network element based on the particular link and external information included in the particular meta-template;

means for selecting a particular template from a plurality of templates based on the particular network element and the particular meta-template; and

means for automatically configuring the particular network element based on the particular template,

wherein

each template of the plurality of templates associates a class of network elements with an action to perform on a network data packet by a network element that belongs to the class,

the class of network elements is defined by a first constraint set on one or more first properties of the network elements;

the meta-template associates the external information with an associated template of the plurality of templates, and

the external information indicates a second constraint set on one or more second properties different from the one or more first properties.

15. 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 the 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;

maintaining a plurality of Quality of Service (QoS) policy templates, wherein

maintaining each QoS policy template further comprises associating a class of network elements with a QoS action to perform on a network data packet by a network element that belongs to the class, and

the class of network elements is defined by a first constraint set on one or more first properties of the network elements belonging to the class;

maintaining a meta-template, comprising associating external information with an associated template of the plurality of QoS policy templates, wherein the external information indicates a second constraint set which contains data that is not intrinsic to any network element on one or more second properties different from the one or more first properties; and

automatically configuring the plurality of network elements based at least in part on the meta-template.

16. 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 the 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;

selecting from the plurality of network elements a particular network element connected to a particular link;

selecting a particular meta-template for the particular network element based on the particular link and external information included in the particular meta-template;

selecting a particular template from a plurality of templates based on the particular network element and the particular meta-template; and

automatically configuring the particular network element based on the particular template,

wherein

each template of the plurality of templates associates a class of network elements with an action to perform on a network data packet by a network element that belongs to the class,

the class of network elements is defined by a first constraint set on one or more first properties of the network elements;

the meta-template associates the external information with an associated template of the plurality of templates, and

the external information indicates a second constraint set on one or more second properties different from the one or more first properties.