US 6,286,052 B1 · Method and apparatus for identifying network data traffic flows and for applying quality of service treatments to the flows

Abstract

A system within a computer network identifies specific traffic flows originating from a given network entity and requests and applies appropriate policy rules or service treatments to the traffic flows. A network entity includes a flow declaration component that communicates with one or more application programs executing on the entity. The flow declaration component includes a message generator and an associated memory for storing one or more traffic flow data structures. For a given traffic flow, the application program issues one or more calls to the flow declaration component providing it with information identifying the traffic flows. The flow declaration component then opens a flow management session with a local policy enforcer that obtains policy rules or service treatments for the identified flow from a policy server and applies those rules or treatments to the specific traffic flows from the network entity.

Claims47

Dependent claims

A network entity configured to communicate with a local policy enforcer through a computer network, the network entity having at least one application program executing thereon for generating a traffic flow for transmission to a second network entity through the network, the network entity comprising:

a flow declaration component in communicating relation with the at least one application program for receiving one or more network and transport layer parameters and one or more application-level parameters identifying the traffic flow, the flow declaration component comprising:
a memory for storing a traffic flow data structure corresponding to the traffic flow, the traffic flow data structure storing the one or more network and transport layer and one or more application-level parameters identified by the at least one application program, and
a message generator for formulating and transmitting one or more messages to the local policy enforcer, at least one message including information from the traffic flow data structure,
whereby, in response to the at least one message from the flow declaration component, a respective service treatment is declared for the traffic flow from the at least one application program.

1 more element

A network entity configured to communicate with a policy server through a computer network, the network entity having at least one application program executing thereon for generating a traffic flow for transmission to a second network entity through the network, the network entity comprising:

a flow declaration component in communicating relation with the at least one application program for receiving one or more network and transport layer parameters and one or more application-level parameters identifying the traffic flow, the flow declaration component having a memory for storing a traffic flow data structure corresponding to the traffic flow, the traffic flow data structure storing the one or more network and transport layer and the one or more application-level parameters identified by the at least one application program;
and
a traffic flow state machine engine in communication with the flow declaration component, the traffic flow state machine engine including a communication engine for formulating and transmitting one or more messages to the policy server carrying information from the traffic flow data structure and for receiving one or more policy decision rules from the policy server to be applied to the traffic flow.

In a computer network having a first network entity, a local policy enforcer, a policy server and a second network entity, the first network entity having a flow declaration component and at least one application program that are in communicating relation, the at least one application program configured to generate a traffic flow for transmission through the network to the second network entity, a method for obtaining and applying policy rules to the traffic flow comprising the steps of:

specifying one or more network and transport layer parameters for the traffic flow to the flow declaration component;
specifying one or more application-level parameters that describes an aspect of the traffic flow to the flow declaration component;
forwarding at least one message carrying the specified network and transport layer parameters and the specified application-level parameters from the flow declaration component to the local policy enforcer;
at the local policy enforcer, requesting a policy rule decision for application to the traffic flow from the policy server based on the specified network and transport layer parameters and the specified application-level parameters;
and
at the local policy enforcer, applying the policy rule decision to the traffic flow as it moves through the network.

3 more elements

A computer readable medium containing executable program instructions for declaring a service treatment for a plurality of network messages issued by an application program running on a network entity connected to a computer network, the network messages corresponding to a specific traffic flow, the computer network including a policy enforcer and a policy server and defining transport and network communication layers, the executable program instructions comprising program instructions for:

receiving from the application program a plurality of network and transport layer parameters corresponding to the traffic flow;
receiving from the application program one or more application-level parameters corresponding to the traffic flow;
loading the received network and transport layer parameters and the application-level parameters into one or more flow start messages;
and
sending the one or more flow start messages to the policy enforcer, wherein, in response to the one or more flow start message a service treatment is obtained for and applied to the traffic flow from the application program.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for identifying network data traffic flows and for applying quality of service treatments to the flows

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for identifying network data traffic flows and for applying quality of service treatments to the flows

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims47