Policy-Based Networking: Architecture and Algorithms

Policy Definition

In order for policies to be active in the network, an administrator needs to define them, and the devices need to enforce them. For a smooth operation of the network, the policies must satisfy several requirements:

• Precision. A policy must be precise and specified to a level of detail that can be understood by a network element. There should be no ambiguity regarding a policy's interpretation. From the point of view of a network element, the policy must be specified with all the requisite details that might be needed for the enforcement of a policy. For example, a policy might dictate that a subset of traffic on the network be encrypted. In order to implement it, a firewall must receive details specifying the type of encryption ...