Cisco Technology, Inc.

Steven M Woo

Shai Mohaban

Itzhak Parnafes

Arad Naveh

Techniques for creating policies for use in policy-based management of quality of service treatments of network data traffic flows are described. Policies are defined based on information about types of flows generated by an application and quality of service functions that are available in the network. Application information is received that defines flows generated by an application, including points where the application generates the traffic flows. QoS information is received that defines one of more quality of service treatments that the network device may apply to data processed by the network device. Based on the information, processing policies that associate the flows with the QoS treatments are determined. Mappings of the application information to the QoS treatments, which may be used to generate the quality of service value when the application program generates flows, are created and stored. Thus, the policies are informed both by application expertise and network expertise.

Method and apparatus for creating policies for policy-based management of quality of service treatments of network data traffic flows

A method and apparatus for creating policies for use in policy-based management of quality of service treatments of network data traffic flows are described. The policies are defined based on information about types of network traffic flows generated by an application program, and information about quality of service functions that are available in devices of the network. In one embodiment, application information is received that defines one or more traffic flows generated by an application program, including information identifying one or more points at which an application generates the traffic flows, from a first individual having responsibility for managing enterprise applications in the network. Further, QoS information is received that defines one of more quality of service treatments that the network device may apply to data processed by the network device, from a second individual having responsibility for managing the network. Based on the device QoS information and the application information, one or more processing policies that associate the traffic flows with the quality of service treatments are determined. Mappings of the application information to the quality of service treatments, which may be used to generate the quality of service value when the application program generates traffic flows, are created and stored. As a result, the policies are informed both by application program expertise and network expertise. Methods and mechanisms of integrating the policies into a directory are described.

A method and apparatus for policy-based management of quality of service treatments of network data traffic flows by integrating policies with application programs are described. In one embodiment, a quality of service value is selectively associated with a flow of information generated by an application program and directed to a network device. Mappings representing an abstract policy and associating a pre-determined network quality of service with a traffic flow type of the flow of information and with an application program are created and stored in a repository that is accessible by the application program. The mappings are converted into one or more settings of the network device. The policy is enforced at the network device in response to receiving traffic from the application program that matches the traffic flow type. The settings may be Differentiated Services Code Points or may be RSVP&plus; messages. Policies may be represented by statements stored in a directory schema. Each policy statement is represented by nodes that represent a condition of one of the traffic flows, an operator, an operand, and an action comprising one of the quality of service treatments. The nodes start at a root node having a distinguished name in the directory.

Method and apparatus for policy-based management of quality of service treatments of network data traffic flows by integrating policies with application programs

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Redwood Shores, CA, United States of America

Steven M Woo