Back to results
US 11,082,502 B2Granted
Policy architecture for cable networks
AssigneeCisco Technology, Inc.
InventorsAlon Shlomo Bernstein, Ian McDowell Campbell, John T. Chapman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
One embodiment is a method including extending a policy server to provide per subscriber policies to a cable modem (CM) and a cable modem termination system (CMTS), receiving, at the policy server, a request for a policy profile from a cable modem termination system (CMTS), accessing a subscriber database to determine the policy profile, and communicating the policy profile to the CMTS. In an example, the policy server is a packet cable multimedia policy server of a cable network.
Claims19
A method comprising:
- extending a policy server to provide per subscriber policies to a cable modem (CM) and a cable modem termination system (CMTS);
- receiving, at the policy server, a request for a policy profile from the CMTS, wherein the CMTS assigns a flow identifier to a service flow between the CM and the CMTS, the service flow identifier identifying a subscriber associated with the service flow;
- accessing a subscriber database to determine the policy profile for the service flow for the subscriber;
- determining that the policy profile for the service flow for the subscriber needs to be communicated to the CMTS;
- and
- communicating, in response to determining that the policy profile for the service flow for the subscriber needs to be communicated to the CMTS, the policy profile to the CMTS, the policy profile comprising a CM policy profile enforced by the CM and a CMTS policy profile to be enforced by the CMTS, wherein the CMTS modifies policies enforced at the CMTS based on the CMTS policy profile for the service flow for the subscriber, wherein the CMTS verifies modification to the policies enforced at the CMTS based on the CMTS policy profile for the service flow for the subscriber with the policy server, wherein the CMTS enforces, upon verifying, the policies enforced at the CMTS based on the CMTS policy profile for the service flow for the subscriber, wherein the CM policy profile is sent to the CM by the CMTS as a data over cable service interface specification message, and wherein the CM enforces one or more policies from the CM policy profile to an ingress traffic and an egress traffic associated with the service flow behind the CM.
3 more elements
At least one machine-readable medium in a policy server, the at least one machine-readable medium comprising instructions that when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
- extend the policy server to provide per subscriber policies to a cable modem (CM) and a cable modem termination system (CMTS);
- receive a request for a policy profile from the CMTS, wherein the CMTS assigns a flow identifier to a service flow between the CM and the CMTS, the service flow identifier identifying a subscriber associated with the service flow;
- access a subscriber database to determine the policy profile for the service flow for the subscriber;
- and
- determine that the policy profile for the service flow for the subscriber needs to be communicated to the CMTS;
- and
- communicate, in response to determining that the policy profile for the service flow for the subscriber needs to be communicated to the CMTS, the policy profile to the CMTS, the policy profile comprising a CM policy profile enforced by the CM and a CMTS policy profile to be enforced by the CMTS, wherein the CMTS modifies policies enforced at the CMTS based on the CMTS policy profile for the service flow for the subscriber, wherein the CMTS verifies modification to the policies enforced at the CMTS based on the CMTS policy profile for the service flow for the subscriber with the policy server, wherein the CMTS enforces, upon verifying, the policies enforced at the CMTS based on the CMTS policy profile for the service flow for the subscriber, wherein the CM policy profile is sent to the CM by the CMTS as a data over cable service interface specification message, and wherein the CM enforces one or more policies from the CM policy profile to an ingress traffic and an egress traffic associated with the service flow behind the CM.
4 more elements
A policy server, comprising:
- a memory element configured to store data,
- a processor operable to execute instructions associated with the data to:
- extend the policy server to provide per subscriber policies to a cable modem (CM) and a cable modem termination system (CMTS);
- receive, at the policy server, a request for a policy profile from the CMTS, wherein the CMTS assigns a flow identifier to a service flow between the CM and the CMTS, the service flow identifier identifying a subscriber associated with the service flow;
- access a subscriber database to determine the policy profile for the service flow for the subscriber;
- and
- determine that the policy profile for the service flow for the subscriber needs to be communicated to the CMTS;
- and
- communicate, in response to determining that the policy profile for the service flow for the subscriber needs to be communicated to the CMTS, the policy profile to the CMTS, the policy profile comprising a CM policy profile enforced by the CM and a CMTS policy profile to be enforced by the CMTS, wherein the CMTS modifies policies enforced at the CMTS based on the CMTS policy profile for the service flow for the subscriber, wherein the CMTS verifies modification to the policies enforced at the CMTS based on the CMTS policy profile for the service flow for the subscriber with the policy server, wherein the CMTS enforces, upon verifying, the policies enforced at the CMTS based on the CMTS policy profile for the service flow for the subscriber, wherein the CM policy profile is sent to the CM by the CMTS as a data over cable service interface specification message, and wherein the CM enforces one or more policies from the CM policy profile to an ingress traffic and an egress traffic associated with the service flow behind the CM.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.