US 7,606,146 B1Granted

Method and apparatus for implementing a policy-based management system on a network device

AssigneeNortel Networks Limited

InventorsYin Pan, Al Villarica, Eric Edwards

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Abstract

Resources, such as bandwidth, are allocated on a network as follows. A request for reservation of network resources is received. The reservation includes a destination address on the network. Resources on network devices on a path to the destination address are allocated to accommodate the reservation if the network devices have sufficient resources to accommodate the reservation.

Claims37

Dependent claims

A method of allocating resources on a network, comprising:

receiving a request for reservation of network resources, the reservation including a destination address on the network and a future activation time at which the resources are to be activated;
and
allocating resources on network devices on a path to the destination address to accommodate the reservation if the network devices have sufficient resources to accommodate the reservation, wherein the allocating is at the future activation time, and wherein the allocating includes communicating over the network at the future activation time with at least one policy enforcement point, wherein the policy enforcement point is on the path and at an edge of the network, wherein the communicating includes configuring the at least one policy enforcement point by installing, at the future activation time, at least one internet protocol traffic filter in the policy enforcement point, wherein the installing activates the requested reservation of network resources for the destination address on the network, wherein the internet protocol traffic filter includes a matching criteria and an action, wherein the matching criteria includes at least one internet protocol network address, and wherein the matching criteria allows the policy enforcement point to identify at least one packet and to perform the action on the packet, wherein the installing at the future activation time of said at least one internet protocol traffic filter in the policy enforcement point includes determining that two nodes have requested the same service reservation, and modifying, responsive to the determining that two nodes have requested the same service reservation, the matching criteria of a previously installed internet protocol traffic filter by replacing an internet protocol network address of the previously installed internet protocol traffic filter with a range of internet protocol network addresses to increase the number of users with access to the network without increasing the number of filters installed in the network devices.

A computer program stored on a computer-readable medium for allocating resources on a network, the computer program comprising instructions that cause a computer to:

receive a request for reservation of network resources, the reservation including a destination address on the network and a future activation time at which the resources are to be activated;
and
allocate resources on network devices on a path to the destination address at the future activation time to accommodate the reservation if the network devices have sufficient resources to accommodate the reservation, by communicating over the network at the future activation time with at least one policy enforcement point, wherein the policy enforcement point is on the path and at an edge of the network, wherein the communicating includes configuring the at least one policy enforcement point by installing, at the future reservation time, at least one internet protocol traffic filter in the policy enforcement point, wherein the installing activates the requested reservation of network resources for the destination address on the network, wherein the internet protocol traffic filter includes a matching criteria and an action, wherein the matching criteria includes at least one internet protocol network address, and wherein the matching criteria allows the policy enforcement point to identify at least one packet and to perform the action on the packet, wherein the installing at the future activation time of said at least one internet protocol traffic filter in the policy enforcement point includes determining that two nodes have requested the same service reservation, and modifying, responsive to the determining that two nodes have requested the same service reservation, the matching criteria of a previously installed internet protocol traffic filter by replacing an internet protocol network address of the previously installed internet protocol traffic filter with a range of internet protocol network addresses to increase the number of users with access to the network without increasing the number of filters installed in the network devices.

An apparatus for allocating resources on a network, the apparatus comprising:

a memory which stores executable instructions;
and a processor which executes the instructions to:
receive a request for reservation of network resources, the reservation including a destination address on the network and a future activation time at which the resources are to be activated;
and
allocate resources on network devices on a path to the destination address at the future activation time to accommodate the reservation if the network devices have sufficient resources to accommodate the reservation, by communicating over the network at the future activation time with at least one policy enforcement point, wherein the policy enforcement point is on the path and at an edge of the network, wherein the communicating includes configuring the at least one policy enforcement point by installing, at the future reservation time, at least one internet protocol traffic filter in the policy enforcement point, wherein the installing activates the requested reservation of network resources for the destination address on the network, wherein the internet protocol traffic filter includes a matching criteria and an action, wherein the matching criteria includes at least one internet protocol network address, and wherein the matching criteria allows the policy enforcement point to identify at least one packet and to perform the action on the packet, wherein the installing at the future activation time of said at least one internet protocol traffic filter in the policy enforcement point includes determining that two nodes have requested the same service reservation, and modifying, responsive to the determining that two nodes have requested the same service reservation, the matching criteria of a previously installed internet protocol traffic filter by replacing an internet protocol network address of the previously installed internet protocol traffic filter with a range of internet protocol network addresses to increase the number of users with access to the network without increasing the number of filters installed in the network devices.

2 more elements

An apparatus for allocating resources on a network, comprising:

means for receiving a request for reservation of network resources, the reservation including a destination address on the network and a future activation time at which the resources are to be activated;
and
means for allocating resources on network devices on a path to the destination address at the future activation time to accommodate the reservation if the network devices have sufficient resources to accommodate the reservation, and wherein the allocating includes communicating over the network at the future activation time with at least one policy enforcement point, wherein the policy enforcement point is on the path and at an edge of the network, wherein the communicating includes configuring the at least one policy enforcement point by installing at least one internet protocol traffic filter in the policy enforcement point, wherein the installing activates the requested reservation of network resources for the destination address on the network, wherein the internet protocol traffic filter includes a matching criteria and an action, wherein the matching criteria includes at least one internet protocol network address, and wherein the matching criteria allows the policy enforcement point to identify at least one packet and to perform the action on the packet, wherein the installing at the future activation time of said at least one internet protocol traffic filter in the policy enforcement point includes determining that two nodes have requested the same service reservation, and modifying, responsive to the determining that two nodes have requested the same service reservation, the matching criteria of a previously installed internet protocol traffic filter by replacing an internet protocol network address of the previously installed internet protocol traffic filter with a range of internet protocol network addresses to increase the number of users with access to the network without increasing the number of filters installed in the network devices.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

A method of allocating resources on a network, comprising:

receiving a request for reservation of network resources, the reservation including a destination address on the network and a future activation time at which the resources are to be activated;
and
allocating resources on network devices on a path to the destination address to accommodate the reservation if the network devices have sufficient resources to accommodate the reservation, wherein the allocating is at the future activation time, and wherein the allocating includes communicating over the network at the future activation time with at least one policy enforcement point, wherein the policy enforcement point is on the path and at an edge of the network, wherein the communicating includes configuring the at least one policy enforcement point by installing, at the future activation time, at least one internet protocol traffic filter in the policy enforcement point, wherein the installing activates the requested reservation of network resources for the destination address on the network, wherein the internet protocol traffic filter includes a matching criteria and an action, wherein the matching criteria includes at least one internet protocol network address, and wherein the matching criteria allows the policy enforcement point to identify at least one packet and to perform the action on the packet, wherein the installing at the future activation time of said at least one internet protocol traffic filter in the policy enforcement point includes determining that two nodes have requested the same service reservation, and modifying, responsive to the determining that two nodes have requested the same service reservation, the matching criteria of a previously installed internet protocol traffic filter by replacing an internet protocol network address of the previously installed internet protocol traffic filter with a range of internet protocol network addresses to increase the number of users with access to the network without increasing the number of filters installed in the network devices.