NFAT Tree Structure for Parallel Network Policy Evaluation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional network systems are inflexible and inefficient in configuring, scaling, and determining the status of complex network conditions, failing to effectively monitor and manage multiple network functions and services across communication networks.
Innovation Solution
A correlation policy management system utilizing a non-deterministic finite automata tree (NFAT) structure for evaluating complex network conditions, enabling simultaneous correlation of policies and monitoring of network status, with capabilities for massively parallel streaming analytics, data caching, and customizable rules for determining compliance and triggering actions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional network systems are used for monitoring and managing network conditions, then the system structure is simple, but the system is inflexible and inefficient in configuring, scaling, and determining the status of complex network conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network policy evaluation into a tree structure where different branches represent different policy conditions. Each node in the tree can be independently evaluated, allowing the system to handle complex network conditions by breaking them down into manageable segments that can be processed in parallel.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a tree-based dimensional structure to organize policy evaluation, transforming the traditional linear evaluation approach into a multi-dimensional tree structure. This allows simultaneous evaluation of multiple policy conditions across different branches of the tree, enabling parallel processing and improving adaptability to complex network conditions.
2Productivity
If conventional sequential processing is used for policy evaluation, then the system complexity is low, but the processing time and efficiency are insufficient for massively parallel streaming analytics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-compiling network policies into a tree structure before actual evaluation. This pre-processing organizes the policy conditions in advance, allowing the evaluation phase to simply traverse the pre-built tree and perform comparisons, significantly improving processing speed without requiring complex real-time computation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates copies of the policy tree structure for different evaluation contexts and uses these copies for parallel processing. Each processor can work with its own copy of the tree structure, enabling simultaneous evaluation of multiple policy conditions without interfering with each other, thus achieving massively parallel streaming analytics.
3Reliability
If the system monitors multiple network functions and services simultaneously, then the comprehensiveness of network monitoring improves, but the resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple policy evaluations into a single tree traversal process. Instead of evaluating each policy condition separately, the system combines them into a unified tree structure that can be evaluated in a single pass, reducing redundant processing and lowering resource consumption while maintaining comprehensive monitoring of multiple network functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements selective evaluation by caching intermediate results during tree traversal. When evaluating a policy condition, the system performs partial evaluation and caches the results, avoiding redundant computations for conditions that have already been evaluated, thus reducing overall resource consumption while maintaining comprehensive monitoring capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes processing a user input for generating a non-deterministic finite automata tree (NFAT) correlation policy. The user input indicates one or more of a static condition or a dynamic condition for inclusion in the NFAT correlation policy. The static condition includes a comparison between a defined entity and a first fixed parameter. The dynamic condition includes a comparison between the defined entity and a variable parameter. An applicable NFAT element is generated that includes at least one of the NFAT correlation policy generated based on a determination that the user input indicates the static condition or a NFAT template generated based on a determination that the user input indicates the dynamic condition. Event data received from a network device is processed to detect a status of a network entity associated with a communication network based on the applicable NFAT element.