Dynamically Configuring Attributes of a Parent Circuit on a Network Element

A network element, to be coupled to an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server, for dynamically configuring attributes of circuits, said network element comprising:

• a set of one or more ports to receive subscriber sessions, wherein each of the subscriber sessions represents a distinguishable flow of packets being communicated between the network element and a subscriber end station or customer premise equipment using a protocol;
• and
• a plurality of control modules to perform the following for each of a plurality of subscriber sessions:
• receive from the AAA server a set of one or more subscriber circuit attributes and a set of one or more parent circuit attributes both from a subscriber record stored in the AAA server, and
• apply attributes, based on the set of subscriber circuit attributes and the set of parent circuit attributes, to a subscriber circuit for that subscriber session and a parent circuit of that subscriber circuit;
• and
• wherein each of the subscriber circuits uniquely identifies within the network element one of the subscriber sessions;
• wherein at least one of the parent circuits represents an aggregation of two or more of the subscriber circuits;
• and
• whereby the sets of parent circuit attributes for the parent circuits are dynamically configured through the subscriber records on the AAA server responsive to authorization events for the subscriber sessions.

A system for dynamically configuring attributes of circuits on network elements through authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) comprising:

• an AAA server having stored therein subscriber records that each include both a set of one or more subscriber circuit attributes and a set of one or more parent circuit attributes;
• a plurality of network elements coupled to the AAA server to receive from the appropriate ones of the subscriber records the sets of subscriber circuit attributes and the sets of parent circuit attributes responsive to authorization events for subscriber sessions, wherein each of the plurality of network elements includes:
• a plurality of ports coupled to subscriber end stations and customer premise equipment;
• data structures representing subscriber circuits and parent circuits of the subscriber circuits, wherein each of the subscriber circuits uniquely identifies within the network element one of the subscriber sessions, wherein each of the subscriber sessions represents a distinguishable flow of packets being communicated between the network element and one of the subscriber end stations or customer premise equipment using a protocol;
• wherein at least one of the parent circuits represents an aggregation of two or more of the subscriber circuits;
• and
• a plurality of control modules coupled to maintain the data structures and to apply attributes based on the received sets of subscriber circuit attributes and the received sets of parent circuit attributes respectively to the appropriate ones of the subscriber circuits and the parent circuits;
• and
• whereby the configurations of the parent circuits are replicated and synchronized across the plurality of network elements through the subscriber records.