Methods and apparatus for deploying quality of service policies on a data communication network

A method for controlling connection quality in a data communication network connecting a plurality of sites, the method comprising:

• a) providing a stored service template comprising computer readable information specifying a service topology for a service and computer readable information specifying QoS requirements for one or more data connections the service;
• b) accepting user input specifying two or more endpoints for the service;
• c) in a programmed computer generating from the computer readable information in the template and the user input a set of rule revisions for classifying and dispatching data packets in the one or more data connections at one or more packet processing devices in the network, wherein the rule revisions comprise new leaf nodes to be added to policy trees in the packet processing device, the method comprising adding the new leaf nodes to the policy trees in the packet processing device;
• and
• d) implementing the service by distributing the rule revisions to the one or more packet processing devices.

A method for controlling connection quality in a data communication network connecting a plurality of sites, the method comprising:

• a) providing a stored service template comprising computer readable information specifying a service topology for a service and computer readable information specifying QoS requirements for one or more data connections the service;
• accepting user input specifying two or more endpoints for the service;
• b) in a programmed computer generating from the computer readable information in the template and the user input a set of rule revisions for classifying and dispatching data packets in the one or more data connections at one or more packet processing devices in the network;
• and,
• c) implementing the service by distributing the rule revisions to the one or more packet processing devices;
• d) receiving an altered version of a service template;
• e) in a programmed computer identifying one or more previously set up services which are based upon the service template;
• f) in the programmed computer generating a set of rule revisions to change the previously set up services to be based upon the altered version of the service template;
• and,
• g) distributing the rule revisions to the one or more packet processing devices.

A method for controlling connection quality in a data communication network connecting a plurality of sites, the method comprising:

• a) providing a stored service template comprising computer readable information specifying a service topology for a service and computer readable information specifying QoS requirements for one or more data connections the service;
• b) accepting user input specifying two or more endpoints for the service;
• c) in a programmed computer generating from the computer readable information in the template and the user input a set of rule revisions for classifying and dispatching data packets in the one or more data connections at one or more packet processing devices in the network;
• d) implementing the service by distributing the rule revisions to the one or more packet processing devices;
• e) accepting user input specifying changes to one or more endpoints for a previously set up service;
• g) in the programmed computer generating a set of rule revisions to change the one or more endpoints for the previously set up services;
• and
• h) distributing the rule revisions to the one or more packet processing devices.

A method for controlling connection quality in a data communication network connecting a plurality of sites, the method comprising:

• a) providing a stored service template comprising computer readable information specifying a service topology for a service and computer readable information specifying QoS requirements for one or more data connections the service;
• b) accepting user input specifying two or more endpoints for the service;
• c) in a programmed computer generating from the computer readable information in the template and the user input a set of rule revisions for classifying and dispatching data packets in the one or more data connections at one or more packet processing devices in the network;
• and, implementing the service by distributing the rule revisions to the one or more packet processing devices;
• d) accepting user input specifying one or more previously set up services to be deleted;
• e) in the programmed computer generating a set of rule revisions to delete the previously set up services;
• and
• f) distributing the rule revisions to the one or more packet processing devices.