MANAGING HIERARCHICALLY ORGANIZED SUBSCRIBER PROFILES
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a virtual interface to receive a data packet from a subscriber computer and to request information regarding one or more operations to be performed on the data packet, wherein the virtual interface defines a connection between a router and the subscriber computer; and
a policy engine to receive a request from the virtual interface for the information regarding the one or more operations to be performed on the data packet, the policy engine including,a virtual interface database having stored therein a first-level profile identifier associated with the virtual interface; and
a profile identifier database having stored therein a lower-level profile identifier associated with the first-level profile identifier, wherein the lower-level profile identifier indicates the one or more operation to be performed on the data packet.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus are provided for managing hierarchically organized subscriber profiles. According to one embodiment, a router includes multiple virtual interfaces and a policy engine. The virtual interfaces define connections between the router and corresponding subscribers of a service provider. A first virtual interface is operable to receive packets from a first subscriber and to process the packets in accordance with a first-level profile identifier. The policy engine is coupled with the virtual interfaces and operable to de-reference subscriber profiles of the subscribers on behalf of the virtual interfaces based on a database of hierarchically organized profile identifiers. The database includes multiple lower-level profile identifiers, which explicitly define subscriber services, and multiple first-level profile identifiers, which define service contexts representing combinations of services available to subscribers when connected to the service provider by (i) explicitly defining the subscriber services or (ii) referring to one or more of the lower-level profile identifiers.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a virtual interface to receive a data packet from a subscriber computer and to request information regarding one or more operations to be performed on the data packet, wherein the virtual interface defines a connection between a router and the subscriber computer; and a policy engine to receive a request from the virtual interface for the information regarding the one or more operations to be performed on the data packet, the policy engine including, a virtual interface database having stored therein a first-level profile identifier associated with the virtual interface; and a profile identifier database having stored therein a lower-level profile identifier associated with the first-level profile identifier, wherein the lower-level profile identifier indicates the one or more operation to be performed on the data packet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A router comprising:
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a plurality of virtual interfaces defining connections between the router and corresponding subscribers of the plurality of subscribers, the plurality of virtual interfaces including a first virtual interface operable to receive packets from a first subscriber of the plurality of subscribers and to process the packets in accordance with a first-level profile identifier of the plurality of the first-level profile identifiers associated with the first subscriber; and a policy engine coupled in communication with the plurality of virtual interfaces and operable to de-reference subscriber profiles for a plurality of subscribers of a service provider on behalf of the plurality of virtual interfaces based on a database of hierarchically organized profile identifiers, the database including a plurality of lower-level profile identifiers, which explicitly define subscriber services, and a plurality of first-level profile identifiers, which define service contexts representing combinations of services available to subscribers when connected to the service provider by (i) explicitly defining the subscriber services or (ii) referring to one or more of the plurality of lower-level profile identifiers. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A router comprising:
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a plurality of interface means for defining connections between the router and corresponding subscribers of the plurality of subscribers, the plurality of interface means including a first interface means for receiving packets from a first subscriber of the plurality of subscribers and for processing the packets in accordance with a first-level profile identifier of the plurality of the first-level profile identifiers associated with the first subscriber; a repository means for maintaining hierarchically organized profile identifiers including a plurality of lower-level profile identifiers, which explicitly define subscriber services, and a plurality of first-level profile identifiers, which define service contexts representing combinations of services available to subscribers when connected to the service provider by (i) explicitly defining the subscriber services or (ii) referring to one or more of the plurality of lower-level profile identifiers; and a policy engine means, coupled in communication with the repository means and the plurality of interface means, for de-referencing subscriber profiles of a plurality of subscribers of a service provider on behalf of the plurality of interface means based on the hierarchically organized profile identifiers. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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Specification