PAQMAN

Policy Analysis for Quality of service MANagement

An EPSRC project

EPSRC Grant Reference: GR/S79992/01

Principal Investigator: Professor George Pavlou

Collaborative partner: Dr Emil Lupu, Department of Computing, Imperial College London, grant reference GR/R31409/01, main project page at Imperial College

Project duration: 36 months + 6 months extension (1 April 2004 - 30 September 2007)

Project Summary

Policy-based management has been proposed in recent years as a suitable means for managing Quality of Service (QoS) in IP networks. Yet despite research projects, standardisation efforts, and substantial interest from industry, policy-based management is still not a reality. One of the reasons for the reticence to adopt this technology is that it is difficult to analyse policies to determine that they will actually work, given the capabilities of managed network devices, and to guarantee the stability of the network configuration, given that policies may have conflicts leading to unpredictable effects. This project aims to address the challenges of policy analysis, policy validation and policy refinement within the specific application domain of Quality of Service for IP networks.

Policy analysis includes the ability to check for conflicts in the presence of constraints on the state of the system and identify precisely the sequence of events which would lead to a conflict as well as the ability to check that certain properties are satisfied when a given set of policies is applied. Policy validation relates to the ability to determine whether a given set of policies can actually be implemented on a network configuration given the characteristics of the devices and the traffic profiles. Policy refinement represents the ability to derive lower-level more concrete policies from higher level goals expressed in organisational policies and service level agreements (SLA). Policy refinement cannot be fully automated and the problem is extremely difficult to solve in the general case. We will develop an approach to partially automate this process through the identification and instantiation of domain specific refinement patterns of management policies, which will probably depend on the characteristics of the network devices and of the network itself. More specifically, the project is targeted at Differentiated Services (DiffServ) in MPLS environments.

To achieve these goals it is necessary to combine formal reasoning techniques with policy-based management approaches and domain specific knowledge on QoS in IP networks. In particular this project aims to provide a holistic approach by combining the analysis and refinement aspects with the design, extension and improvement of the QoS framework developed at the University of Surrey. This will not only provide a framework in which the results of the project can be validated through actual implementation on a testbed but also a framework where it will be possible to explore the limits of policy-based programmability of networks. The project will identify which parts of the QoS management framework can be implemented through a policy-based control and which parts and algorithms are better provided through intelligence within managed objects.

Objectives

In order to effectively use policy-based management for QoS provision, fulfilment, assurance and adaptation to changing conditions, it is essential that QoS management tools support policy conflict analysis and refinement. Policy analysis ensures that these policies are consistent and do not lead to conflicts. Policy refinement is used to derive the low-level provisioning and dynamic resource management policies from the business-driven QoS goal specifications and contracted SLAs. Based on the above, the collaborative effort of the University of Surrey (UniS) and Imperial College (IC) has the following main objectives:

Extend the use of Event Calculus for policy specification, to provide bi-directional mapping between Ponder and the Event Calculus, and efficient and integrated abductive analysis techniques for detecting and diagnosing errors in policy specifications.
Investigate refinement mechanisms in the context of QoS management and integrate them with the abductive analysis technique.
Define managed objects and low-level policies in the context of an integrated QoS-management architecture that includes admission control, network dimensioning and dynamic resource management and to define high-level policies emanating from business goals and SLAs.
Integrate specific knowledge of the QoS management domain with formal reasoning techniques to enable domain-specific policy conflict analysis and refinement.
To develop tools that enable the analysis and refinement of QoS management policies and validate and evaluate the tools using realistic QoS management policies.
To investigate alternative techniques and in particular model-checking for policy refinement.
To investigate extensions of abductive reasoning for security management and in particular for firewall policy analysis and generation.
And to extend our conflict analysis approach for policies related to the management of ubiquitous environments.

Publications

Only the University of Surrey related publications are listed here, for a complete list of publications please visit also the publications project page at Imperial College.

Journal papers

[Charal09] M. Charalambides, G. Pavlou, P. Flegkas, J. Rubio-Loyola, A.K. Bandara, E.C. Lupu, A. Russo, N. Dulay, M. Sloman, Policy Conflict Analysis for DiffServ Quality of Service Management, IEEE Transactions on Network and Service Management (TNSM), Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 15-30, IEEE, March 2009 (full paper in Acrobat pdf - 1239K).
[Rubio06] J. Rubio-Loyola, J. Serrat, M. Charalambides, P. Flegkas, G. Pavlou, A Methodological Approach Towards the Refinement Problem in Policy-based Management Systems, IEEE Communications, series on Network and Service Management, Vol. 44, No. 10, pp. 60-68, IEEE, October 2006 (full paper in Acrobat pdf - 282K).
[Band06] A. Bandara, E. Lupu, A. Russo, N. Dulay, M.Sloman, P. Flegkas, M. Charalambides, G. Pavlou, Policy Refinement for IP Differentiated Services Quality of Service Management, IEEE Transactions on Network and Service Management (TNSM), Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 2-13, IEEE, Second quarter 2006 (full paper in Acrobat pdf).

Conference and Workshop papers

[Hadji07] A.M. Hadjiantonis, M. Charalambides, G. Pavlou, A Policy-based Approach for Managing Ubiquitous Networks in Urban Spaces, Proc. of the IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC'2007), Glasgow, UK, pp. 2089-2096, IEEE, June 2007 (full paper in Acrobat pdf - 663K) (acceptance rate 39%, 1070 out of 2740 papers).
[Loyola06b] J. Rubio-Loyola, J. Serrat, M. Charalambides, P. Flegkas, G. Pavlou, A Functional Environment Solution for Goal-oriented Policy Refinement, Proc. of the IEEE Workshop on Policies for Distributed Systems and Networks (Policy'2006), Ontario, Canada, pp. 133-144, IEEE, June 2006 (full paper in Acrobat pdf - 578K) (acceptance rate 30.5%, 18 out of 59 papers).

[Charal06] M. Charalambides, P. Flegkas, G. Pavlou, A. Bandara, E. Lupu, A. Russo, N. Dulay, M.Sloman, Dynamic Policy Analysis and Conflict Resolution for DiffServ Quality of Service Management, Proceedings of the IEEE/IFIP Network Operations and Management Symposium (NOMS'2006), Vancouver, Canada, IEEE, April 2006 (acceptance rate 28.5%, 53 out of 186 papers) (full paper in Acrobat pdf - 419K) (acceptance rate 28.5%, 53 out of 186 papers).

[Charal05] M. Charalambides, P. Flegkas, G. Pavlou, A. Bandara, E. Lupu, A. Russo, N. Dulay, M.Sloman, Policy Conflict Analysis for Quality of Service Management, Proceedings of the IEEE International Workshop on Policies for Distributed Systems and Networks (Policy'2005), Stockholm, Sweeden, IEEE, June 2005 (full paper in Acrobat pdf - 1082K) (acceptance rate 22.2%, 20 out of 90 papers).

[Loyola05] J.R. Loyola, J. Serrat, M. Charalambides, P. Flegkas, G. Pavlou, A. Lafuente, Using Linear Temporal Model Checking for Goal-oriented Policy Refinement Frameworks, Proceedings of the IEEE International Workshop on Policies for Distributed Systems and Networks (Policy'2005), Stockholm, Sweeden, pp. 181-190, IEEE, June 2005 (full paper in Acrobat pdf - 305K) (acceptance rate 22.2%, 20 out of 90 papers).
[Band05] A. Bandara, E. Lupu, A. Russo, N. Dulay, M.Sloman, P. Flegkas, M. Charalambides, G. Pavlou, Policy Refinement for DiffServ Quality of Service Management, Proceedings of the IEEE/IFIP Integrated Management Symposium (IM'2005), Nice, France, pp. 469-482, IEEE, May 2005 (full paper in Acrobat pdf - 628K) (acceptance rate 23.5%, 53 out of 226 papers).

Last updated November 2007

[Charal09]	M. Charalambides, G. Pavlou, P. Flegkas, J. Rubio-Loyola, A.K. Bandara, E.C. Lupu, A. Russo, N. Dulay, M. Sloman, Policy Conflict Analysis for DiffServ Quality of Service Management, IEEE Transactions on Network and Service Management (TNSM), Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 15-30, IEEE, March 2009 (full paper in Acrobat pdf - 1239K).
[Rubio06]	J. Rubio-Loyola, J. Serrat, M. Charalambides, P. Flegkas, G. Pavlou, A Methodological Approach Towards the Refinement Problem in Policy-based Management Systems, IEEE Communications, series on Network and Service Management, Vol. 44, No. 10, pp. 60-68, IEEE, October 2006 (full paper in Acrobat pdf - 282K).
[Band06]	A. Bandara, E. Lupu, A. Russo, N. Dulay, M.Sloman, P. Flegkas, M. Charalambides, G. Pavlou, Policy Refinement for IP Differentiated Services Quality of Service Management, IEEE Transactions on Network and Service Management (TNSM), Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 2-13, IEEE, Second quarter 2006 (full paper in Acrobat pdf).

[Hadji07]	A.M. Hadjiantonis, M. Charalambides, G. Pavlou, A Policy-based Approach for Managing Ubiquitous Networks in Urban Spaces, Proc. of the IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC'2007), Glasgow, UK, pp. 2089-2096, IEEE, June 2007 (full paper in Acrobat pdf - 663K) (acceptance rate 39%, 1070 out of 2740 papers).
[Loyola06b]	J. Rubio-Loyola, J. Serrat, M. Charalambides, P. Flegkas, G. Pavlou, A Functional Environment Solution for Goal-oriented Policy Refinement, Proc. of the IEEE Workshop on Policies for Distributed Systems and Networks (Policy'2006), Ontario, Canada, pp. 133-144, IEEE, June 2006 (full paper in Acrobat pdf - 578K) (acceptance rate 30.5%, 18 out of 59 papers).
[Charal06]	M. Charalambides, P. Flegkas, G. Pavlou, A. Bandara, E. Lupu, A. Russo, N. Dulay, M.Sloman, Dynamic Policy Analysis and Conflict Resolution for DiffServ Quality of Service Management, Proceedings of the IEEE/IFIP Network Operations and Management Symposium (NOMS'2006), Vancouver, Canada, IEEE, April 2006 (acceptance rate 28.5%, 53 out of 186 papers) (full paper in Acrobat pdf - 419K) (acceptance rate 28.5%, 53 out of 186 papers).
[Charal05]	M. Charalambides, P. Flegkas, G. Pavlou, A. Bandara, E. Lupu, A. Russo, N. Dulay, M.Sloman, Policy Conflict Analysis for Quality of Service Management, Proceedings of the IEEE International Workshop on Policies for Distributed Systems and Networks (Policy'2005), Stockholm, Sweeden, IEEE, June 2005 (full paper in Acrobat pdf - 1082K) (acceptance rate 22.2%, 20 out of 90 papers).
[Loyola05]	J.R. Loyola, J. Serrat, M. Charalambides, P. Flegkas, G. Pavlou, A. Lafuente, Using Linear Temporal Model Checking for Goal-oriented Policy Refinement Frameworks, Proceedings of the IEEE International Workshop on Policies for Distributed Systems and Networks (Policy'2005), Stockholm, Sweeden, pp. 181-190, IEEE, June 2005 (full paper in Acrobat pdf - 305K) (acceptance rate 22.2%, 20 out of 90 papers).
[Band05]	A. Bandara, E. Lupu, A. Russo, N. Dulay, M.Sloman, P. Flegkas, M. Charalambides, G. Pavlou, Policy Refinement for DiffServ Quality of Service Management, Proceedings of the IEEE/IFIP Integrated Management Symposium (IM'2005), Nice, France, pp. 469-482, IEEE, May 2005 (full paper in Acrobat pdf - 628K) (acceptance rate 23.5%, 53 out of 226 papers).