Automated process and apparatus for providing integrated management and control of computer networks

1. A method for integrated management and control of computer networks comprising:

receiving data regarding operation of a computer network, elements of the computer network comprising two or more computers and one or more switches or hubs, the elements of the computer network utilizing a plurality of protocols;

automatically generating network policies at an automated management system based at least in part on the data regarding operation of the computer network, wherein the network policies are independent of the plurality of protocols;

subjecting the generated network policies to a provisioning process to generate rule semantics and reconfiguration semantics;

subjecting the rule semantics and reconfiguration semantics to enforcement processing to generate rules and reconfigurations for the computer network in the form of each of the plurality of protocols to modify operations to apply the network policies and modify operations of the computer network; and

receiving data regarding the operation of the computer network after the modification of the operations of the computer network.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising learning from experience with the operation of the computer network, wherein the generation of network policies is based at least in part on the learning from experience with the operation of the computer network.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reception of data, the generation of the network policies, and the application of the network policies are parts of a closed feedback loop.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data regarding operation of the computer network comprises one or more of metrics, event data, and configuration data.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data regarding operation of the computer network is received in the form of a plurality of protocols.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising transforming the data regarding the operation of the computer network into generalized data that removes protocol differences.

7. An integrated management and control system for a computer network comprising:

a management plane, the management plane to obtain operation data from a plurality of network elements, the network elements including two or more computers and one or more switches or hubs, the network elements utilizing a plurality of protocols;

an automated processor with automation intelligence to generate network policies for the plurality of network elements based at least in part on the operation data, wherein the network policies are independent of the plurality of protocols; and

a control plane, the control plane being operable to:

subject the network policies to a provisioning process to generate rule semantics and reconfiguration semantics, and

subject the rule semantics and reconfiguration semantics to enforcement processing to generate rules and reconfigurations for the computer network in the form of each of the plurality of protocols to modify operations of the computer network.

8. The management system of claim 7 , wherein the operation data is derived from the plurality of different protocols.

9. The management system of claim 7 , wherein the management system forms a closed feedback loop.

10. The management system of claim 7 , wherein the management plane is to transform the operation data into generalized data and transform the generalized data into correlated knowledge.

11. The management system of claim 7 , wherein the automation intelligence is to learn from past experience regarding the computer network, wherein the generation of policies for the plurality of network elements utilizes the learning from the past experience regarding the computer network.