Policy-based Network Management

Definition : Policy-based Network Management is that the network management is accomplished based on policy. The policy is the combination of rules and services where rules define the criteria for resource access and usage. A policy is formally defined as an aggregation of policy rules. Each policy rule is comprised of a set of conditions and a corresponding set of actions. The condition defines when the policy rule is applicable. Once, a policy rule is so activated, one or more actions contained by that policy rule may then be excuted. These actions are associated with either meetig or not meeting the set of conditions specified in the policy rule.

Motivation : The task of managing information tchnology resources becomes increasingly complex as managers must take heterogeneous systems, different networking technologies, and distributed applications into consideration. As the number of resources to be managed grows, the task of managing these devices and applications depends on numerous system and vendor specific issues. To prevent the operators from drowning in excessive detail, the level of abstraction needs to be raised in order to hide system and network specifics. Policies which are derived from the goals of management define the desired behaviour of distributed heterogeneous systems and networks, and specify means to enforce this behavior. Policy provides a means of specifying and dynamically changing management strategy without coding policy into the implementation. Policy-based management has many benefits of delivering consistent, correct, and understandable network systems. The benefits of policy-based management will grow as network systems become more complex and offer more services (security service and QoS).

Architecture of Policy-based Network Management


Policy Infrastructure Functional Groupings

  • Policy Management Tool
      1. Policy Editing
      2. Policy Presentation
      3. Rule Translation
      4. Rule Validation
      5. Global Conflict Resolution
  • Policy Repository
      1. Storage
      2. Search
      3. Retrieval
  • Policy Consumer
      1. Rule Locator
      2. Device Adapter
      3. State Resource Validation (Requirements Checking)
      4. Policy Rule Translation
      5. Policy Transformation
  • Policy Target
      1. Operate as specified by Policy Rule
      2. Optionally, Policy Rule Validation
      3. Optionally, Feedback

Standards


Papers


Products and Prototypes


Related sites


Presentaions

 

 This homepage is maintained by mjchoi.    Last updated : March 20, 2000