A service policy specifies how network traffic is handled within an environment by defining rules for traffic classification, filtering, quality of service, and access control. It ensures that critical applications receive the required resources and that unauthorized or malicious traffic is blocked.

Deployed at network edges or service endpoints, service policies classify flows based on attributes such as IP addresses, protocols, or application metadata, then apply actions like rate limiting, prioritization, or firewall enforcement to maintain service levels and protect infrastructure.

Service policies are managed centrally through the Service Director in Hedgehog Open Network Fabric, enabling administrators to update policies, perform health checks, and roll out changes across the fabric. Careful policy design and regular audits are essential to avoid conflicts and ensure compliance with organizational and regulatory requirements.