Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer network managing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-31
2002-05-21
Rinehart, Mark H. (Department: 2152)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer network managing
C709S221000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06393474
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to establishing and enforcing system policy on a network; and more specifically to systems employing dynamic policy management using active networking devices to establish and enforce system policy.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
The Internet has grown significantly over the past several decades, yet there are signs that applications would benefit from a richer set of Internet services. For example, the expected growth in voice over IP (VoIP) traffic on the Internet will change its overall traffic characteristics. While up to now real-time delivery requirements for IP traffic have been rare, VoIP packets must be delivered within fairly strict time constraints. Since the volume of VoIP traffic is likely to grow into a high percentage of Internet traffic, the services required by the Internet will change. As other real-time traffic, such as that supporting video, becomes prominent, the effect on Internet services will be even more dramatic.
The growth of the Internet and the use of IP based technology has also created a corresponding growth in the number of systems administrators must manage. This scaling problem is being addressed by the use of policy based management systems, whereby administrators specify what should happen and leave it to the policy management system to determine procedures to implement the policy.
The system administrators' task of administering policy is even further complicated by legacy systems. As networks evolve, older equipment, i.e., legacy systems, remain that may not be able to participate in a particular management policy. Alternately, legacy systems may be able to participate, but the methods required to execute the policy are different, thereby complicating the implementation of the policy. Because of the variety of devices and legacy systems, the complexity of implementing a management policy makes it difficult to establish the policy across all layers and device types of the network, and particularly difficult to maintain such a policy management system even if it could be successfully implemented.
Typically in the prior art a central management station that dispatches instructions to the network devices as needed controls the policy management. The instructions may be very basic, such as telling the device to shut down, or very complex requiring the device. Often the instructions are in response to repetitive processes that are executed periodically, i.e., daily or weekly, or on the occurrence of some event. If system congestion is high or the management system is inoperative, the appropriate action may not be taken, thereby creating system performance degradation; and in the worse case scenario this could lead to system failure.
Accordingly, it is desirable to implement a policy management system which allows for system policy to be executed and maintained at the network device level across layers of network systems and protocols.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a dynamic policy management apparatus and method using active network devices that provide for policy enforcement.
The present invention provides a system for providing policy management in a network that includes passive nodes and active nodes operating in multiple protocol layers and having enforcement functions. A variety of network devices, i.e., nodes or active nodes, such as routers, remote access equipment, switches, repeaters, network cards, and end system processes having security functions, are configured to contribute to the implementation of policy enforcement in the network. By distributing policy enforcement functionality to a variety of network devices and end systems, a pervasive policy management system is implemented. The policy management system includes a policy implementation component that accepts policy, i.e., instructions or rules that define how the network device should behave when confronted with a particular situation. The policy enforcement is performed by network devices having tools and resources to execute the active packets distributed throughout the network to enforce the defined policy. The policy being implemented can be implemented across multiple protocol layers and must be coordinated by the policy management system such that particular devices enforce that part of the policy pertinent to their part of the network.
For example, a router in the network enforces that part of the policy that is pertinent to those systems and network devices whose traffic might traverse the router. A switch enforces that part of the policy that is pertinent to those systems and network devices whose traffic traverses the switch. A repeater enforces that part of the policy that is pertinent to those systems and network devices whose traffic traverses the repeater. A network interface card with processing resources (smart NIC) enforces that part of the policy that is pertinent to the system or device to which it is connected. In addition, other parts of the network are included in the policy management hierarchy, such as end system operating systems and applications, remote access equipment, network management systems for controlling network traffic and monitoring network traffic, and other auxiliary systems such as name services file services are included in the collection of network devices that are called upon to enforce a portion of the policy being implemented by the present invention.
To implement the system policy a network manager uses a management station to specify policy for a network. The management station employs a policy definition system, (PDS) supporting a policy definition language (PDL) to create a programming language active packet, which represents at least one rule of the policy, which is then encapsulated in preparation for transmission to the active network devices. The active packet includes, but is not limited to, an object-oriented programming language, such as C++, CAML, JAVA, and Python, having objects and scripting programming language, such as Practical Extraction and Report Language (PERL), Tool Command Language (TCL), or employing shells, e.g. Unix supports Bourne shell, Korn shell, and C-shell code. The active packet is stored in an active packet file on a memory device and the file is optionally signed with a digital signature. The active packet file is either deposited in a network directory, or other distributed database, or sent through the network to the enforcement device and stored in its memory. The enforcement device is signaled when a new policy, represented by the active packet file, or it is available. The signal may contain the active packet or it may inform the device to find the active packet in a network directory or distributed database.
After the enforcement device obtains the active packet file, it is optionally verified via the signature to determine the privileges the active packet should be granted. The active packet file is then extracted from the memory location and the active packet is prepared for execution. The enforcement device checks to see if it has the implementing code (at least one variable, method, and/or data) for the active packet loaded in its memory. If not, the enforcement device obtains the code from a distributed database or directory, or another enforcement device, or similar memory device.
The policy definition language comprises a mobile programming language which in turn includes, but is not limited to, object-oriented and scripting programming languages. If the mobile programming language is an object-oriented language then the active packet comprises an active object, i.e. code plus data, normally referred to just as an object. For each object a thread of execution is established, and the object is executed. The object they uses the services available to it on the enforcement device to enforce the policy or a of the policy. If the mobile programming language is a scripting programming language the active packets comprises active code, normally r
Eichert Stuart
Luo Wenjun
Lusher Elaine
Nessett Danny M.
3Com Corporation
Haynes Mark A.
Haynes Beffel & Wolfeld LLP
Rinehart Mark H.
Thompson Marc D.
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