Simplified configuration of network policy

1 . A method for network policy configuration, the method comprising:

maintaining a database of network entity attribute information, the database including attributes of each entity of a plurality of entities of a network;

presenting the attributes of each entity of the plurality of entities in the network as options in defining a condition of a network policy for the network, wherein the plurality of entities include a set of one or more entities that matches the condition of the network policy;

receiving user input that includes a selected option of the options, wherein the selected option corresponds to a given attribute in the attributes of the plurality of entities, wherein the user input includes a given value for the given attribute, and wherein the given attribute and the given value at least partly define the condition of the network policy; and

applying the network policy to the set of one or more entities based on the condition of the network policy.

2 . The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of entities comprise host devices, the method further comprising:

presenting the condition for identifying one or more host devices in the host devices that match the condition of the network policy, wherein the user input selects the presented condition for defining the network policy.

3 . The method defined in claim 2 , wherein the condition comprises the given value of the given attribute and a relationship to the given value and wherein the identified one or more host devices have one or more values for the given attribute that match the relationship to the given value.

4 . The method defined in claim 3 further comprising:

presenting a plurality of actions to be performed when applying the network policy, wherein the user input selects a given action from the plurality of actions for defining the network policy.

5 . The method defined in claim 4 further comprising:

presenting a set of values corresponding to the given action, wherein the user input selects a given value from the set of values and wherein applying the network policy comprises performing the given action using the given value selected from the set of values.

6 . The method defined in claim 5 , wherein the given action comprises an assignment to a virtual local area network (VLAN), an assignment to an access control list (ACL), an assignment to a pre-defined segment, or an output to supplemental equipment.

7 . The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the condition is a network-level condition and the attributes of the plurality of entities comprise network attributes.

8 . The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the condition is a user-level condition and the attributes of the plurality of entities comprise user attributes.

9 . The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the condition is a device-level condition and the attributes of the plurality of entities comprise device attributes.

10 . The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the attributes of the plurality of entities are obtained by a network management server from external equipment.

11 . The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the attributes of the plurality of entities are presented via a user interface and wherein the user input is received via the user interface.

12 . The method defined in claim 11 , wherein the user interface comprises a graphical user interface on a web browser application.

13 . A method for network policy configuration, the method comprising:

presenting, via a user interface, a first set of options that configures a network;

presenting, via the user interface, a second set of options that defines one or more conditions for configuring a network policy for the network, the one or more conditions specifying one or more entities of the network to which the network policy is applied;

presenting, via the user interface, a third set of options that defines one or more actions for configuring the network policy, wherein the one or more actions are performed as part of applying the network policy;

receiving, via the user interface, user input of a first selection from the first set of options, a second selection from the second set of options, and a third selection from the third set of options; and

applying the network policy based on the second and third selections.

14 . The method defined in claim 13 , wherein the first set of options comprises a first option to configure a wired network and a second option to configure a wireless network.

15 . The method defined in claim 13 , wherein the second set of options comprises a first option to select one or more attributes for the one or more conditions and a second option to select one or more values for the one or more attributes.

16 . The method defined in claim 13 , wherein the third set of options comprises a first option to select a given action of the one or more actions and a second option to select a corresponding value associated with the given action.

17 . The method defined in claim 13 further comprising:

maintaining network entity attribute information, wherein at least some options in the first, second, or third sets of options present some of the maintained network entity attribute information as selectable options.

18 . A method of defining a network for network policy configuration, the method comprising:

presenting, via a user interface, a plurality of selectable options, wherein the plurality of selectable options comprise a first option to configure a wired network and a second option to configure a wireless network;

receiving, via the user interface, user input to configure a new network, wherein the user input comprises a selection of the first option or the second option from the plurality of selectable options;

based on the user input comprising the selection of the first option and the new network being a wired network, identifying a set of values for wired network attributes and configuring the new network as the wired network using the set of values for the wired network attributes; and

based on the user input comprising the selection of the second option and the new network being a wireless network, identifying a set of values for wireless network attributes and configuring the new network as the wireless network using the set of values for the wireless network attributes.

19 . The method defined in claim 18 , wherein the wired network attributes and the wireless network attributes comprise standards-compliant attributes.

20 . The method defined in claim 19 , wherein the standards-compliant attributes comprise Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) protocol attributes.