Lucent Technologies` new suite of products, RealNet Rules, is set to revolutionise networking and information management. The pieces of the business-driven intelligent network puzzle are falling into place with the release of RealNet Rules, the brawn and the brains behind Lucent Technologies` new Policy-Based Networking model.
RealNet Rules is the foundation upon which Lucent Technologies InterNetworking Systems - Enterprise Division has built its new Policy-Based model, to meet the challenge of creating business-driven systems that automatically assign the right resources to the appropriate business processes,
Angus Peacey, regional manager for sub-Saharan Africa for Lucent Technologies InterNetworking Systems Enterprise Division, says, "The RealNet Rules suite of products marries a range of networking management tools and products, protocols, and interfaces to applications and services, to provide network managers with the ability to completely integrate - and simplify - current networking complexity in such a manner that, for the first time, all the systems serving the business will be part of a unified structure."
Lucent Technologies focused on three key areas in the development of Policy Based Networking: Quality of Service, Security, and Resource Allocation. Currently, these areas stand alone, and the resulting fragmentation of systems has created an administrative nightmare for network managers.
"Policy models provide simple, consistent, high-level rules that govern the availability and priority of usage of the network and its resources," Peacey explains, "They provide end-to-end corporate-level service management of resources."
Quality of Service (QoS) forms the top layer of the policy model, and this function is performed by a combination of RealNet Rules Enterprise Policy Manager and Cajun switching. QoS defines how information traffic is prioritised on the network and the rules governing these decisions - including a guaranteed minimum QoS, not just best efforts handling. QoS distinguishes levels of service among applications and users on a scheduled basis.
"Low delay is a new type of priority for many of the latest applications using voice, video and multimedia," he says. "Dynamic end-to-end capabilities are also critical today, as is the capability to arbitrate when conflicts arise, because business objectives demand this level of service and this is key to ensuring delivery on service level guarantees."
Security policies underpin QoS, and Lucent has added support for this functionality to the Lucent Managed Firewall. Security is defined for both access to resources and information, and to the secure transmission of that information, for both local and remote users. RealNet Rules also provides the ability to restrict users from using network resource for personal pursuits.
He comments, "Lucent have put a special emphasis on integrating and consolidating security measures to overcome the difficulty of administering and using many different access levels, logons and passwords. This consistent approach reduces risk and exposure to either inadvertent or unauthorised access."
Resource allocation policy could be considered the most fundamental element of policy-based networks because it matches user needs to the right resources, at the right time. RealNet Rules achieves this through the provision of IP address management services.
"Mobile and office-based user needs have very different profiles, even though their information requirements may be the same. Resource allocation policy, based on policy concepts, and built out of RealNet Rules tools and products, can make a vital difference to productivity," Peacey explains.
"The total operation of the network can also be controlled through performance and fault management tools. Another major feature of RealNet Rules is information sharing across management systems, tying together desktop management, applications, network management and other systems into a coherent whole," he adds.
Resources include LANs, WANs, web services, multimedia, PABX communications, Internet telephony servers and gatekeepers, voice and integrated messaging servers, directories, file and print and broadcast services, applications, end-users and customers.
The RealNet Rules suite for implementing policy based network objectives provides a much-needed breakthrough in the technical challenges of meeting and supporting fast-moving business needs.
The hard-pressed technical community should find that policies also offers them a better way to allocate their most precious resource, their brains, to planning and strategy aimed at serving the business, come what may, Peacey concludes.
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