Application Intelligence Platform for SD-WAN Policy Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current SD-WAN solutions lack application-based business context for intelligent routing decisions, leading to suboptimal network traffic management, especially in environments requiring differentiated treatment of critical and non-critical applications.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a dynamic policy implementation for application-aware routing that captures business transaction features and applies corresponding network policies, enabling granular control over network traffic based on business insights, integrating with SD-WAN management systems to prioritize critical applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If current SD-WAN solutions make routing decisions based on network performance monitoring, then intelligent routing decisions can be made, but application-based business context is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an application intelligence platform as an intermediary between applications and the SD-WAN controller. This platform captures application features and business context, then translates them into network policies that the SD-WAN controller can enforce. The intermediary preserves business context information while enabling automated routing decisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback loops where the application intelligence platform continuously monitors application transactions, captures features, and feeds this information back to dynamically adjust network policies. This feedback mechanism ensures that routing decisions remain aligned with current business context while maintaining automation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If granular control over network traffic is implemented based on business insights, then differentiated service levels can be provided, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the system into distinct functional components: application monitoring agents that capture transaction features, an intelligence platform that processes features and determines policies, and an SD-WAN controller that enforces policies. This segmentation allows granular control capabilities while managing complexity through clear separation of concerns.
Solution Approach 2:
The application intelligence platform serves multiple functions: capturing application features, determining network policies, translating policies to network address, and communicating with the SD-WAN controller. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity by consolidating diverse functions into a single universal platform.
3Productivity
If real-time capture of application transaction features is performed, then dynamic policy implementation is enabled, but processing overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system captures only the most relevant features of application transactions rather than monitoring all possible parameters. By selectively capturing essential features needed for policy determination, the system achieves dynamic policy implementation while minimizing processing overhead and resource consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a process captures one or more features of an initiated application transaction within an application, and applies the one or more features to one or more application-based policies. In response to determining a policy trigger for the initiated application transaction based on applying the one or more features to the one or more application-based policies, the process may then obtain a network address associated with the application. Once the process maps the particular policy trigger from the one or more application-based policies to one or more corresponding network-based policies, then the process can instruct a network controller to apply the one or more corresponding network-based policies to the network address associated with the application, causing the network controller to configure a computer network to manage network traffic associated with the network address according to the one or more corresponding network-based policies.