Network traffic manager server for providing policy-based recommendations to clients

A network traffic manager (server) for providing policy-based recommendations to application programs (clients), each client occasionally generating network traffic, the server comprising:

• (a) an interface for receiving requests from the clients, each request associated with a proposed generation of network traffic by one of the clients, each request comprising at least one required parameter that describes the proposed generation of network traffic by the requesting client;
• (b) means for storing a set of policies, each policy comprising:
• (i) at least one selection criterion and
• (ii) associated control information;
• and
• (c) a policy selector responsive to each request for:
• (i) selecting one policy from the set of policies, the policy selection based on the at least one required parameter received from the requesting client and the at least one selection criterion of the selected policy;
• (ii) forming, according to the control information associated with the selected policy, a recommendation as to whether network traffic should be generated;
• and
• (iii) providing the recommendation to the requesting client;
• wherein each said request also includes a further recommendation request from the requesting client to the server that if the recommendation provided to the requesting client at step (c)(iii) indicates that network traffic should not be generated, said server should automatically inform the requesting client at a future time via a further recommendation when said network traffic should be generated said further recommendation causing said requesting client to automatically initiate network traffic previously queued at said requesting client.

A network traffic manager (server) for providing policy-based recommendations to application programs (clients), the clients occasionally generating network traffic, the server comprising:

• (a) an interface for receiving requests from the clients, each request associated with a proposed generation of network traffic by one of the clients, each request comprising at least one required parameter that describes the proposed generation of network traffic by the requesting client and also comprising a further parameter that inquires as to whether said proposed generation should be postponed and automatically commenced by said requesting client at a future time, if at all;
• (b) means for storing a set of policies, each policy comprising:
• (i) at least one selection criterion and
• (ii) an associated recommendation as to whether network traffic should be generated and if said network traffic should not be generated, whether said network traffic should take place at said future time;
• and
• (c) a policy selector responsive to each request, for:
• (i) selecting one policy from the set of policies, the policy selection based on at least the at least one required parameter received from the requesting client and the at least one selection criterion of the selected policy;
• and
• (ii) providing the recommendation associated with the selected policy to the requesting client.

A network traffic manager (server) for providing policy-based recommendations to application programs (clients), the clients occasionally generating network traffic, the server comprising:

• (a) an interface for receiving requests from the clients, each request associated with a proposed generation of network traffic by one of the clients, each request comprising at least one required parameter that describes the proposed generation of network traffic by the requesting client;
• (b) means for calculating a cost of the proposed generation of network traffic, the calculation based on a policy that includes the at least one required parameter received from the requesting client;
• and
• (c) a recommendation generator responsive to each request, for:
• (i) comparing the calculated cost with a predetermined value;
• (ii) when the calculated cost is less than the predetermined value, providing the requesting client a recommendation that the proposed network traffic should be generated;
• and
• (iii) when the calculated cost is greater than the predetermined value, providing the requesting client a recommendation that the proposed network traffic should not be generated at present time, but that said proposed network traffic should be automatically queued at said present time and initiated by said requesting client at a future time specified in the recommendation.

A method of managing network traffic at a node connected to a computer network, the method comprising the steps of:

• generating a request associated with a proposed generation of network traffic by the node, wherein said request includes at least one parameter indicator of the type of traffic to be generated by the node;
• receiving said request, and forming a recommendation by comparing said request against a set of policies and setting said recommendation in response to comparing said request against said set of policies, said recommendation relating to whether the associated proposed network traffic should be generated and if said associated proposed network traffic should not be generated, said recommendation also specifying a future time at which said associated proposed network traffic should be automatically generated;
• and
• evaluating said recommendation to determine whether to generate the network traffic.

A method of controlling network traffic generated by an application program (client) executing in a processing node connected to a computer network and capable of generating network traffic on the computer network, comprising the steps of:

• generating a request associated with a proposed generation of network traffic by the node to the computer network, wherein said request includes at least one parameter indicative of the type of traffic to be generated by the node;
• receiving said request and forming an initial recommendation indicative of whether the network traffic should be transmitted;
• and
• evaluating said initial recommendation to determine whether to generate the network traffic;
• wherein if said initial recommendation indicates that said network traffic should not be generated, said method further comprises the steps of automatically forming another recommendation at a future time when said network traffic should occur and automatically initiating said network traffic in response to said another recommendation.