Patent ID: 7860006

Claim:
A system, integrated with or coupled to a network switch having a plurality of ports, for applying one or more policies to selected ports of the switch, comprising: a user interface for receiving user input, for each of the one or more policies, comprising one or more structured rules for implementing the policy, and user selection of any one or more of the plurality of ports for application of the one or more structured rules; one or more processor readable media for holding, for each of the one or more policies, the one or more structured rules for implementing the policy; and one or more processors for accessing, for each of the one or more policies, the one or more structured rules for implementing the policy held by the one or more processor readable media, compiling the one or more structured rules into executable software, and executing the software; wherein, for each of the one or more policies, the one or more structured rules implementing a policy specify: (1) a packet profile; (2) a counter having content; (3) a usage-based packet statistic to be derived from the counter having content; (4) one or more conditions; and (5) one or more actions to be taken if the one or more conditions are met; wherein the one or more processors, for each of the one or more policies, execute the software compiled from the one or more structured rules implementing the policy, thus applying the policy to the selected ports of the switch by performing the following steps: (1) updating the counter having content as packets that match a specified profile are transmitted from the selected one or more ports; (2) deriving the usage-based packet statistic from the updated counter contents; (3) checking whether the usage-based packet statistic satisfies the one or more conditions; and (4) taking the one or more actions if the usage-based packet statistic meets the one or more conditions.