Policy-based Management Architecture Research Articles

Challenges and opportunities in managing maritime networks

Maritime networks are one of the least studied network configurations. Such networks are composed of a number of mobile wireless nodes typical of MANETs, but also have fixed (satellite) links and are continuously powered as is typical of fixed networks. Combined, these characteristics provide unique challenges not conducive to the use of existing MANET or fixed network management techniques. Since maritime units also operate in a low-bandwidth environment with varying communications capabilities, the efficiency of network management services is critical. Similarly, the lack of power constraints and slower mobility require a less dynamic solution than that required for MANETs. This article provides an overview of the maritime network management problem space including two key management opportunities provided by such an environment. The first opportunity is in automation. Maritime networks are subject to changing operational requirements, while at the same time suffering from limited availability of skilled network operators. To rapidly respond to faults and changes in performance needs, we propose the use of a serviceoriented policy-based management architecture on which a wide variety of management services can be rapidly deployed. The second key management opportunity is resource optimization. We suggest several management services that can be used to support traffic engineering. In our simulations traffic monitoring, traffic prioritization, adaptive routing, and resource reservation services were found to provide awareness and significantly improve the timeliness of prioritized flows.

Using policy-based MPLS management architecture to improve QoS on IP network

Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) is in the process of standardization by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). It is regarded as a technology for traffic engineering and QoS in IP-networks. We proposed an IETF Policy-based Network Management Framework and policies with MPLS specific classes. It uses a three-level policy architecture, which includes managing on device, network, and service level using policies for supporting Inter-serve and Diff-serve based end-to-end QoS in the Internet. A prototyping of policy-based management system for MPLS Traffic Engineering is operating on MPLS network elements. Several experiments illustrate the efficiency and feasibility in this architecture. The results show it can reduce the time of the setup of MPLS traffic engineering tunnel over hops and MPLS traffic engineering tunnel deletion. The proposed integrated policy based management architecture will allow network service providers to offer both quantitative and qualitative services while optimizing the use of underlying network resources.

Application level active network (alan) server management architecture

This paper presents the details of the policy-based security and resource management architecture for Application Level Active Network (alan) servers.alan is an active network architecture which enables deployment of user-customised processes (proxylets), which enhance the existing services or introduce new services to the end-user, on the select group of servers in anip network. The issues of security and resource management in this scenario are of crucial importance so as to efficiently facilitate and control the resource consumption of user-specified processes on the active servers, as well as to protect the server platforms from unauthorised proxylet deployment or malevolent behaviour. The architecture allowing efficient resource and security control is presented in this paper, including detaileduml diagrams capturing the management functionality, as well as a set of concrete management policies for thealan scenario. The examplexml policies are also given, and the deployment of this architecture in real-life trials is described. This development forms a part of a larger management architecture foralan-enabled networks developed in the context of theist projectandroid (Active Network DistRibuted Open Infrastructure Development).

A policy-based management architecture for active and programmable networks

Next generation networks must be capable of supporting a multitude of service providers that exploit an environment in which services are dynamically deployed and quickly adapted over a common heterogeneous physical infrastructure, according to varying and sometimes conflicting customer requirements. In this context, network management must become more flexible in order to cope with these emerging conditions. More specifically, new management architectures must offer service providers the freedom to manage their services according to their own policies and seamlessly extend management functionality as the only way to react to the introduction of new services. Based on a new business model that describes such an environment, we propose a policy-based management architecture that is extensible and operates in an active and programmable network. This management architecture is part of a new network architecture that was developed in the FAIN European Union research and development IST project.

Active Robust Resource Management in Cluster Computing Using Policies

We present an implementation of a policy-based management architecture for emerging communications and computing paradigms such as Active Networks and the Grid. To manage such open, highly distributed and decentralized environments, an approach based on policy concepts is adopted, allowing support for active, dynamic adaptability in network elements, services and end-user applications, as well as achieving decentralization and distribution. We present our flexible, extensible policy and event specifications in XML, and describe our management architecture. One key feature of our approach is the distributed infrastructure: the Directory and the Management Information Distribution system. The second feature is the Resource and Security Management elements residing on the multi-node managed systems. These combine to provide a light-weight, self-organizing management architecture. As an applications example, we describe the implementation of our management system applied to the Application Level Active Networking (ALAN) environment, implemented in the European Commission Information Society Technologies (IST) project ANDROID.

Distributed policy-based management of measurement-based traffic engineering: design and implementation

This article discusses an architecture using monitoring feedback as an assisting factor for delivering QoS on packet-based networks. The handling of this feedback is done in an automated way, through the use of a policy-based management architecture. For this, a formal model for describing data plane and measurement objects was translated into an XML-based configuration language. On top of this, a proof-of-concept management architecture was developed and evaluated, using both a modified network simulator and enhanced Linux prototype routers.