Network Equipment Management System Centralized Policy Rule Conversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current network equipment management systems face challenges in centralized management of policy rules due to the need for specific policy enforcement points (PEPs) for each equipment type, leading to inflexibility and costly human intervention, and existing tools inadequately assist in diagnosing conflicts between policy rules.
Innovation Solution
A network equipment management system with processing means that interfaces between the policy server and network equipment, enabling centralized management of policy rules through conversion into configuration commands and using descriptors to access and manage equipment information, facilitating protocol adaptation and analysis of policy rule effects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a specific policy enforcement point (PEP) is designed for each network equipment type, then the policy rules can be converted into equipment-specific configuration commands, but the management architecture loses flexibility and requires costly human intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal PEP architecture where a single policy enforcement point can handle multiple network equipment types through dynamic protocol detection and adaptation. The system uses protocol detection means to identify the management protocol of each equipment and automatically adapts the conversion process, eliminating the need for dedicated PEPs for each equipment type while maintaining accurate policy rule conversion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer between the policy server and network equipment that includes protocol detection means and adaptation means. This intermediary automatically identifies the equipment's management protocol and mediates the conversion of policy rules into appropriate configuration commands, reducing human intervention while maintaining flexibility across different equipment types.
2Loss of information
If existing tools are used to display policy rules or configuration parameters separately, then individual aspects can be viewed, but conjoint access to both policy rules and their induced configuration parameters is not provided, limiting conflict diagnosis capability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the display of policy rules and their induced configuration parameters into a single unified interface. The system simultaneously presents both the original policy rules and the resulting configuration parameters, allowing operators to directly correlate rules with their effects and easily identify conflicts without switching between separate tools.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism that traces configuration parameters back to their source policy rules. When a configuration parameter is displayed, the system provides feedback information showing which policy rule generated it, enabling operators to understand the cause-effect relationship and diagnose conflicts by viewing both the rule and its outcome together.
Data Source
AI summary
A system (EMS) is dedicated to the management of network equipments (NE) of a communications network (N) capable of carrying out traffic processing operations associated with services and defined by policy rules delivered in the form of primary data by a policy server (PS). This system (EMS) comprises processing means (MT) interfaced between the policy server (PS) and the network equipments (NE) to allow centralized management of the policy rules and of their institution in the network equipments. The processing means (MT) comprise, for example, conversion means (MC) which, when they receive primary data from the policy server (PS) intended for one of the network equipments (NE), convert the primary data into configuration commands to be sent to the equipment in accordance with its management protocol.