Support IP pool-based configuration
First Claim
1. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for maintaining a settings configuration scheme for a subscriber seeking access to a communications network, said method comprising:
- receiving a forwarded authentication protocol packet, said authentication protocol packet having one or more appended attributes, said attributes appended by using a pool identifier, said pool identifier contained in a user profile assigned to the subscriber and said pool identifier indicating the settings configuration scheme for the subscriber, wherein the user profile is stored in a global memory of the communications network, the global memory containing a collection of user profiles, at least some of which are also stored in a local memory, the global memory operative to provide the user profile assigned to the subscriber if said user profile is unavailable from a local memory;
comparing said one or more attributes to a first data structure, said first data structure indicating the settings configuration scheme associated with said one or more attributes; and
configuring settings on the communications network in accordance with the settings configuration scheme.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An address is allocated to a host device which is selected to obtain network access from any access point within a given communications system, while maintaining a settings configuration scheme that is consistently applied to the communications network for the user regardless of the access point used by the user. This is accomplished by assigning a user profile to a subscriber, said user profile including a pool identifier, said pool identifier indicating the settings configuration scheme for the subscriber; using said pool identifier to append one or more attributes to an authentication protocol packet, according to information contained in a first data structure; forwarding said authentication protocol packet to a Network Authentication Server; comparing said one or more attributes to a second data structure, said second data structure indicating the settings configuration scheme associated with said one or more attributes; and configuring settings on the communications network in accordance with the settings configuration scheme.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for maintaining a settings configuration scheme for a subscriber seeking access to a communications network, said method comprising:
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receiving a forwarded authentication protocol packet, said authentication protocol packet having one or more appended attributes, said attributes appended by using a pool identifier, said pool identifier contained in a user profile assigned to the subscriber and said pool identifier indicating the settings configuration scheme for the subscriber, wherein the user profile is stored in a global memory of the communications network, the global memory containing a collection of user profiles, at least some of which are also stored in a local memory, the global memory operative to provide the user profile assigned to the subscriber if said user profile is unavailable from a local memory; comparing said one or more attributes to a first data structure, said first data structure indicating the settings configuration scheme associated with said one or more attributes; and configuring settings on the communications network in accordance with the settings configuration scheme. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for maintaining a Quality of Service level for a subscriber seeking access to a communications network, said method comprising:
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receiving a forwarded authentication protocol packet, said authentication protocol packet having one or more appended attributes, said attributes appended by using a pool identifier, said pool identifier contained in a user profile assigned to the subscriber and said pool identifier indicating the Quality of Service level for the subscriber, wherein the user profile is stored in a global memory of the communications network, the global memory containing a collection of user profiles, at least some of which are also stored in a local memory, the global memory operative to provide the user profile assigned to the subscriber if said user profile is unavailable from a local memory; comparing said one or more attributes to a first data structure, said first data structure indicating the Quality of Service level associated with said one or more attributes; and configuring settings on the communications network in accordance with the Quality of Service level. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for maintaining Quality of Service levels for subscribers belonging to a communications network regardless of the log-on location of the subscribers, the communications network having a first access point having a local memory, and a second access point, the first access point and the second access point having access to a global memory of the communications network, the method comprising:
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assigning a user profile to a subscriber in said local memory, said user profile including a pool identifier, said pool identifier indicating the Quality of Service level for the subscriber, if said subscriber attempts to log-on to said first access point; obtaining said subscriber'"'"'s pool identifier from the global memory, the global memory having access to said local memory, if said subscriber attempts to log-on to said second access point and the second access point is determined not have said subscriber'"'"'s pool identifier at a local memory of the second access point; using said pool identifier to append one or more attributes to an authentication protocol packet, according to information contained in a first data structure; and forwarding said authentication protocol packet to a Network Authentication Server. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A network authentication server for maintaining a settings configuration scheme for a subscriber seeking access to a communications network, said network authentication server comprising:
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an attribute comparer circuit designed to receive a forwarded authentication protocol packet, said authentication protocol packet having one or more appended attributes, said attributes appended by using a pool identifier, said pool identifier contained in a user profile assigned to the subscriber and said pool identifier indicating the settings configuration scheme for the subscriber, and further designed to compare said one or more attributes to a first data structure, said first data structure indicating the settings configuration scheme associated with said one or more attributes, wherein the user profile is stored in a global memory of the communications network, the global memory containing a collection of user profiles, at least some of which are also stored in a local memory, the global memory operative to provide the user profile assigned to the subscriber if said user profile is unavailable from a local memory; and a settings configuror circuit designed to configure settings on the communications network in accordance with the settings configuration scheme. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A network authentication server for maintaining a Quality of Service level for a subscriber seeking access to a communications network, said network authentication server comprising:
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an attribute comparer circuit designed to receive a forwarded authentication protocol packet, said authentication protocol packet having one or more appended attributes, said attributes appended by using a pool identifier, said pool identifier contained in a user profile assigned to the subscriber and said pool identifier indicating the Quality of Service level for the subscriber, wherein the user profile is stored in a global memory of the communications network, the global memory containing a collection of user profiles, at least some of which are also stored in a local memory, the global memory operative to provide the user profile assigned to the subscriber if said user profile is unavailable from a local memory, the attribute comparer further designed to compare said one or more attributes to a first data structure, said first data structure indicating the Quality of Service level associated with said one or more attributes; and a settings configuror circuit designed to configure settings on the communications network in accordance with the Quality of Service level. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A protocol gateway for maintaining Quality of Service levels for subscribers belonging to a communications network regardless of the log-on location of the subscribers, the communications network having a first access point having a local memory, and a second access point, the first access point and the second access point having access to a global memory of the communications network, the protocol gateway comprising:
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a user profile assigner circuit designed to assign a user profile to a subscriber in said local memory, said user profile including a pool identifier, said pool identifier indicating the Quality of Service level for the subscriber, if said subscriber attempts to log-on to said first access point; an authentication protocol packet appender circuit designed to obtain said subscriber'"'"'s pool identifier from the global memory, the global memory having access to said local memory, if said subscriber attempts to log-on to said second access point and the second access point is determined not have said subscriber'"'"'s pool identifier at a local memory of the second access point, and further designed to use said pool identifier to append one or more attributes to an authentication protocol packet, according to information contained in a first data structure; and an authentication protocol packet forwarder circuit designed to forward said authentication protocol packet to a Network Authentication Server. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification