Policy rule management for QoS provisioning

Abstract

Described herein is a policy-based Internet Protocol (IP) network wherein the Quality of Service (QoS) provisioning across various network devices is managed by policy processing via a user interface including a graphic user interface. The user interface incorporates information made available by a server, such as lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) server, having a repository, and thereby allows for a consistent set up voice-over IP devices, video devices and network data devices with minimal entries by the user. Further, the user interfaces allows for efficient policy creation and editing.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A policy-based Internet Protocol (IP) network comprising: 
 a plurality of switches;    a plurality of network devices, each having a directory supported by at least one of the plurality of switches, the plurality of network devices being operatively connected to the plurality of switches via a local area network with each of the plurality of switches supporting quality of service (QoS) and policy files for each supported network device;    a server having a repository for policy data and for receiving policy updates; and    a network policy server having policy processing for provisioning quality of service via a user interface, wherein the user interface provides a graphic user interface for a user to set up QoS provisioning across the network devices.    
     
     
         2 . The policy-based IP network of  claim 1  wherein the network devices further comprise voice-over IP (VoIP) devices wherein the graphic user interface further comprises a VoIP device set up processing.  
     
     
         3 . The policy-based IP network of  claim 1  wherein the network devices further comprise data processing devices and wherein the graphic user interface further comprises a a data device set up processing.  
     
     
         4 . The policy-based IP network of  claim 1  wherein the network devices further comprise video devices wherein the graphic user interface further comprises a video device set up processing.  
     
     
         5 . The policy-based IP network of  claim 1  wherein the network devices further comprise voice-over IP (VoIP) devices, data processing devices and video processing devices and wherein the graphic user interface further comprises a VoIP device set up processing, a data device set up processing, a video device set up processing and a network policy defining and implementing processing.  
     
     
         6 . The policy-based IP network of  claim 1  wherein the network devices further comprise a network device discovery server for retrieving directory information of each of the plurality of network devices from the respective supporting switch, the network device discovery server being operatively connected to the plurality of switches and the policy server via a network backbone.  
     
     
         7 . The policy-based IP network of  claim 1  wherein the network further comprise a trap server for receiving at least one device policy table update notice from at least one of the plurality of network devices, the trap server being operatively connected to the plurality of switches and the policy server via a network backbone.  
     
     
         8 . A method of quality of service provisioning in a policy-based Internet Protocol (IP) network having policy processing, the method comprising the steps of: 
 specifying to policy processing a priority for provisioning quality of service for processing network devices via a graphic user interface (GUI), if a network device setup mode is selected; and    defining and implementing network policies for provisioning quality of service via the graphic user interface to policy processing, if a guided setup mode is selected.    
     
     
         9 . A method of quality of service provisioning in a policy-based Internet Protocol (IP) network having policy processing, the method comprising the steps of: 
 specifying to policy processing a priority for provisioning quality of service for data processing network devices via a graphic user interface (GUI), if a data device setup mode is selected; and    defining and implementing network policies for provisioning quality of service via the graphic user interface to policy processing, if a guided setup mode is selected.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising the step of specifying to policy processing a priority for provisioning quality of service for video processing network devices via the GUI, if video setup mode is selected;  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising the step of specifying to policy processing a priority for provisioning quality of service (QoS) for voice-over IP (VoIP) network devices via a graphic user interface (GUI), if a VoIP setup mode is selected.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising, preceding the step of specifying a priority to provision quality of service for VoIP network devices via the GUI to policy processing, the steps of discovering network devices and recording the discovered data in a server having a repository.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising the steps of: 
 updating network device tables according to policy specifications, definitions, and implementations;  
 transmitting update notifications to a trap server; and  
 retrieving, by the policy processing, data from the trap server.  
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising the steps of retrieving, by the policy processing, data from the repository.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the step of specifying the priority to provision quality of service for VoIP network devices via the GUI to the policy processing further comprise the steps of: 
 inputting IP subnet for each voice subnet requiring a desired priority;  
 effecting a policy rule name;  
 effecting a policy condition name;  
 effecting a policy condition set;  
 effecting a policy action name; and  
 effecting a policy action.  
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the step of specifying the priority to provision quality of service for data processing network devices via the graphic user interface to the policy processing further comprises steps of: 
 retrieving discovered network devices from the server repository;  
 displaying discovered devices;  
 effecting a policy rule name;  
 effecting a policy condition name;  
 effecting a policy condition set;  
 effecting a policy action name; and  
 effecting a policy action.  
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the steps defining and implementing network policies for provisioning quality of service via the graphic user interface to policy processing further comprise the steps of: 
 displaying current server repository values of policy rules;  
 modifying each displayed current policy rule as needed;  
 creating, if needed, at least one new policy rule;  
 displaying at least one policy condition name;  
 selecting at least one policy condition set;  
 displaying at least one valid policy action name associable with the at least one displayed condition name; and  
 effecting at least one policy action.  
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the step of effecting policy action further comprises the steps of: 
 effecting the policy condition;  
 effecting the policy action;  
 effecting the policy rule;  
 creating a policy group, if needed;  
 creating a policy service, if needed;  
 writing to the server repository;  
 notifying a plurality of devices to re-cache their resident data from the server repository; and  
 sending, by the notified plurality of devices, trap notification indicating re-caching accomplished to trap server.  
 
     
     
         19 . A method of quality of service provisioning in a policy-based Internet Protocol (IP) network having policy processing, the method comprising the steps of: 
 selecting at least one mode from the group consisting of voice-over IP setup mode, data device setup mode, video device setup mode and a guided set up mode;    specifying to policy processing a priority for provisioning quality of service (QoS) for voice-over IP (VoIP) network devices via a graphic user interface (GUI), if VoIP setup mode is selected and if VoIP network devices are displayed within the GUI;    specifying to policy processing a priority for provisioning quality of service for video processing network devices via the GUI, if video setup mode is selected and if video processing network devices, including video multimedia network devices, are displayed within the GUI;    specifying to policy processing a priority for provisioning quality of service for data processing network devices via the GUI, if data device setup mode is selected and if data processing network devices are displayed with the GUI; and    defining and implementing network policies for provisioning quality of service via the graphic user interface to policy processing, if guided set up mode is selected.    
     
     
         20 . A computer program product for use with a server in a policy-based Internet Protocol network having devices, said computer program product comprising: 
 a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium that, when used with the server, causes the server to effect policy processing for provisioning quality of service via a user interface, wherein the user interface provides a graphic user interface for the user to set up quality of service (QoS) provisioning across the network devices;    a computer readable program code means for allowing the user to specify a priority to provision quality of service for data processing network devices via the graphic user interface to policy processing; and    and a computer readable program code means for allowing a user to define and implement network policies for provisioning quality of service via the graphic user interface to the policy processing.    
     
     
         21 . The computer program product of  claim 20  further comprising a computer readable program code means for allowing the user to specify a priority to provision quality of service for voice-over IP network devices via a graphic user interface to policy processing.  
     
     
         22 . The computer program product of  claim 20  further comprising a computer readable program code means for allowing the user to specify a priority to provision quality of service for video network devices via a graphic user interface to policy processing.