Central policy based traffic management

Abstract

A switching node configuring different traffic management protocols via a single centralized set of policies. The switching node includes a central policy repository, a central policy engine, and a central management engine. The central policy repository stores a single set of policies used to manage a plurality of different traffic management protocols in a consistent and predictable manner. The different traffic management protocols may include QoS, NAT, ACL, and the like. The central policy engine evaluates inbound traffic flows based on the policies in the central policy repository, and configures one or more traffic management protocol entities based on a selected policy. The management engine configures and manages the single set of policies via a common set of commands helping to eliminate the danger of creating conflicting policies that may lead to unpredictable results.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A switching node in a data communications network, the switching node comprising: 
 an input receiving an inbound packet;    a repository storing a single set of policies for controlling a plurality of different traffic management protocols;    a policy engine coupled to the input and the repository, the policy engine evaluating the packet based on a policy selected from the single set of policies and configuring one or more traffic management protocol entities based on the selected policy; and    a management engine coupled to the repository and the policy engine, the management engine configuring and managing the single set of policies via a common set of commands.    
     
     
         2 . The switching node of  claim 1 , wherein the single set of policies includes a policy identifying two or more actions for controlling two or more traffic management protocols.  
     
     
         3 . The switching node of  claim 1 , wherein the single set of policies includes a first policy identifying a first action for controlling a first traffic management protocol and a second policy identifying a second action for controlling a second traffic management protocol.  
     
     
         4 . The switching node of  claim 1 , wherein one of the traffic management protocols is quality of service.  
     
     
         5 . The switching node of  claim 1 , wherein one of the traffic management protocols is access control.  
     
     
         6 . The switching node of  claim 1 , wherein one of the traffic management protocols is address translation.  
     
     
         7 . The switching node of  claim 1  further comprising a policy cache coupled to the repository and the policy engine for storing a plurality of cached policies.  
     
     
         8 . The switching node of  claim 7 , wherein the policy engine is configured to evaluate the packet based on the plurality of cached policies prior to evaluating the packet based on the policies in the repository.  
     
     
         9 . The switching node of  claim 8 , wherein the central policy engine selects a cached policy as applicable to the packet if no other policies are stored in the repository that are also applicable to the packet but are different from the selected cached policy.  
     
     
         10 . The switching node of  claim 8 , wherein if no match of a policy is found in the repository, the policy engine is configured to store in the policy cache a policy having a destination address of the packet and a default action.  
     
     
         11 . The switching node of  claim 8 , wherein if a partial match of a policy is found in the repository, the policy engine is configured to store in the policy cache a policy having condition fields of the policy in the repository where the values of the condition fields are obtained from the packet, and a default action.  
     
     
         12 . The switching node of  claim 8 , wherein if a complete match of a policy is found in the repository, the policy engine is configured to store in the policy cache a policy having condition fields of the policy in the repository where the values of the condition fields are obtained from the packet, and an action indicated by the policy in the repository.  
     
     
         13 . A method for policy based traffic management comprising: 
 storing in a repository a single set of policies for controlling a plurality of different traffic management protocols;    receiving a first packet;    retrieving a first policy from the repository, the first policy identifying a first action for configuring a traffic management protocol entity of a first protocol type;    configuring the traffic management protocol of the first protocol type based on the first action;    receiving a second packet;    retrieving a second policy from the repository, the second policy identifying a second action for configuring a traffic management protocol entity of a second protocol type; and    configuring the traffic management protocol entity of the second protocol type based on the second action.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein one of the traffic management protocols is quality of service.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein one of the traffic management protocols is access control.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein one of the traffic management protocols is address translation.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising managing the single set of policies via a common set of commands.  
     
     
         18 . A method for policy based traffic management comprising: 
 storing in a repository a single set of policies for controlling a plurality of different traffic management protocols;    receiving a packet;    retrieving a policy from the repository, the policy identifying a first and second action for controlling a first and second traffic management protocol entity, respectively, of a first and second protocol type, respectively;    configuring the first traffic management protocol entity based on the first action; and    configuring the second traffic management protocol entity based on the second action.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein one of the traffic management protocols is quality of service.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein one of the traffic management protocols is access control.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein one of the traffic management protocols is address translation.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising managing the single set of policies via a common set of commands.  
     
     
         23 . A method for policy based traffic management comprising: 
 storing in a repository a single set of policies for controlling a plurality of different traffic management protocols;    receiving a packet;    searching a policy cache for a policy applicable to the packet;    searching the repository if the policy cache does not include an applicable policy; and    generating and storing a new policy in the policy cache, wherein if the new policy is selected as applicable to a future packet, no policies are stored in the repository that are also applicable to the future packet but are different from the new policy.    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein if no match of a policy is found in the repository, the policy generated and stored in the policy cache includes a destination address of the packet and a default action.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein if a partial match of a policy is found in the repository, the policy generated and stored in the policy cache includes condition fields of the policy in the repository where the values of the condition fields are obtained from the packet, and a default action.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein if a complete match of a policy is found in the repository, the policy generated and stored in the policy cache includes condition fields of the policy in the repository where the values of the condition fields are obtained from the packet, and an action indicated by the policy in the repository.