Mechanisms for cloud-based configuration and management of network devices using network mediators implemented in the network devices

A method comprising:

• receiving, at a network mediator executing on a network device, from a device management server, one or more policies for configuring or managing the network device, wherein the network mediator is separate from the device management server;
• wherein the network mediator is configured as an agent executing on the network device;
• and
• for each policy of the one or more policies:
• based on the policy, generating, by the network mediator, one or more instructions for configuring or managing the network device;
• transmitting, by the network mediator, the one or more instructions to the network device;
• receiving, by the network mediator, from the network device, a response to the one or more instructions;
• determining, by the network mediator, whether the response satisfies one or more conditions set forth in the policy, the one or more conditions prompting the network mediator device to generate and transmit a message to the device management server, wherein one of the one or more conditions specifies assigning a high priority to one or more types of status alerts received from the network device that indicate a threshold has been met for one or more configuration parameters of the network device;
• in response to determining, by the network mediator, that the response satisfies at least one of the one or more conditions set forth in the policy that applies to the network device:
• in response to determining, by the network mediator, that the response does include at least one of the one or more types of status alerts, immediately generating and transmitting a message with high priority to the device management server indicating the one or more types of status alerts received in the response;
• in response to determining, by the network mediator, that the response does not include any of the one or more types of status alerts, generating a message indicating the response, and transmitting the message, to the device management server, at a scheduled time interval specified in the policy.

One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing one or more computer instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform:

• receiving, at a network mediator executing on a network device, from a device management server, one or more policies for configuring or managing the network device, wherein the network mediator is separate from the device management server;
• wherein the network mediator is configured as an agent executing on the network device;
• and
• for each policy of the one or more policies:
• based on the policy, generating, by the network mediator, one or more instructions for configuring or managing the network device;
• transmitting, by the network mediator, the one or more instructions to the network device;
• receiving, by the network mediator, from the network device, a response to the one or more instructions;
• determining, by the network mediator, whether the response satisfies one or more conditions set forth in the policy, the one or more conditions prompting the network mediator to generate and transmit a message to the device management server, wherein one of the one or more conditions specifies assigning a high priority to one or more types of status alerts received from the network device that indicate a threshold has been met for one or more configuration parameters of the network device;
• in response to determining, by the network mediator, that the response satisfies at least one condition of the one or more conditions set forth in the policy that applies to the network device:
• in response to determining, by the network mediator, that the response does include at least one of the one or more types of status alerts, immediately generating and transmitting a message with high priority to the device management server indicating the one or more types of status alerts received in the response;
• in response to determining, by the network mediator, that the response does not include any of the one or more types of status alerts, generating a message indicating the response, and transmitting the message, to the device management server, at a scheduled time interval specified in the policy.