Dynamic modification of a subscriber connection

• US 20080059650A1
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ericsson AB (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson AB (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Stoner, Thomas, Arberg, Peter, Bal, Manpreet
• Granted Patent: US 7,987,276 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1086 session scope modification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method comprises receiving a request to modify a subscriber connection to a network element. The method also includes modifying attributes of the subscriber connection, within a memory of the network element, without disconnecting the subscriber connection from the network element.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a request to modify a subscriber connection to a network element; and

modifying attributes of the subscriber connection, within a memory of the network element, without disconnecting the subscriber connection from the network element.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein modifying the attributes of the subscriber connection comprises modifying a connection rate of the subscriber connection.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the subscriber connection is connecting a computing device to the network and wherein modifying the connection rate of the subscriber connection comprises modifying the rate at which data is received into the computing device from the network.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the subscriber connection is connecting a computing device to the network and wherein modifying the connection rate of the subscriber connection comprises modifying the rate at which data is transmitted from the computing device to the network.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein modifying the attributes of the subscriber connection comprises modifying an access control list of the subscriber connection.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein modifying the attributes of the subscriber connection comprises modifying the attributes of the subscriber connection with the memory of the network element upon determining that the subscriber connection is active.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising re-authenticating a subscriber associated with the subscriber connection prior to modifying the attributes of the subscriber connection within the memory of the network element.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising updating an account for the subscriber connection upon modifying the attributes of the subscriber connection.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the account is updated within a database server coupled to the network element.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a memory to store an attribute of a subscriber connection between a computing device and a network;

a forwarding engine coupled to the memory, the forwarding engine to modify the attribute of the subscriber connection, while the subscriber connection is active, without disconnecting the subscriber connection.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the attribute comprises a connection rate of the subscriber connection.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the attribute comprises a rate at which the data is received into the computing device from the network.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the attribute comprises a rate at which the data is transmitted from the computing device to the network.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the attribute comprises an access control list of the subscriber connection.

15. A network element comprising:

a traffic card coupled to connect a computing device and a network through a subscriber connection; and

a forwarding card coupled to the traffic card, wherein the forwarding card is to store a number of attributes for the subscriber connection, the forwarding card to include a forwarding engine, the forwarding engine to modify one of the number of attributes for the subscriber connection, while the subscriber connection is active, without disconnecting the subscriber connection between the computing device and the network.

16. The network element of claim 15, wherein the one of the number of attributes comprises a connection rate of the subscriber connection.

17. The network element of claim 16, wherein the one of the number of attributes comprises a rate at which the data is received into the computing device from the network.

18. The network element of claim 16, wherein the one of the number of attributes comprises a rate at which the data is transmitted from the computing device to the network.

19. The network element of claim 15, wherein the one of the number of attributes comprises an access control list of the subscriber connection.

20. A machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a machine, cause said machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request to modify a subscriber connection to a network element; and

modifying attributes of the subscriber connection, within a memory of the network element, without disconnecting the subscriber connection from the network element.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein modifying the attributes of the subscriber connection comprises modifying a connection rate of the subscriber connection.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the subscriber connection is connecting a computing device to the network and wherein modifying the connection rate of the subscriber connection comprises modifying the rate at which data is received into the computing device from the network.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the subscriber connection is connecting a computing device to the network and wherein modifying the connection rate of the subscriber connection comprises modifying the rate at which data is transmitted from the computing device to the network.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein modifying the attributes of the subscriber connection comprises modifying an access control list of the subscriber connection.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein modifying the attributes of the subscriber connection comprises modifying the attributes of the subscriber connection with the memory of the network element upon determining that the subscriber connection is active.