User information method and apparatus for directing link-layer communication

2:

• The network device of claim 1, further comprising a policy database configured to store the plurality of group routing policies, wherein the one or more processors are configured to select each of the plurality of group routing policies based on a Boolean expression applied to the one or more features of the user information.

(canceled)

4:

• The network device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
• receive one or more of the subsequent packets from the device for the session, wherein each of the subsequent packets includes a transport label having a destination address set by the device,
• modify the one or more subsequent packets by rewriting the destination addresses within the header to destination addresses of the network devices along the one or more routes of the group routing policy.

5:

• The network device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to authenticate the user using the user information.

6:

• The network device of claim 1, wherein the user has an associated communication device, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to select the group routing policy based on one or more features of the associated communication device.

8:

• The network device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of group routing policies comprises a hierarchical set of group routing policies, at least one of the plurality of group routing policies having at least one sub-group routing policy.

9-10. (canceled)

12:

• The method of claim 11, further comprising authenticating the user using the user information.

(canceled)

14:

• The method of claim 11, wherein the user has an associated communication device, wherein selecting the group routing policy further comprises selecting the group routing policy based on one or more features of the associated communication device.

The method of claim 11, wherein sending the packet comprises modifying the packet with one or more routes of the group routing policy.

(canceled)

18:

• The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of group routing policies comprises a hierarchical set of group routing policies, at least one of the plurality of group routing policies having at least one sub-group routing policy.

19-21. (canceled)

22:

• The method of claim 11, wherein the group routing policy includes one or more of quality of service, bandwidth allocation, or bandwidth priority.

24:

• The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to authenticate the user using the user information.

25:

• The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the user has an associated communication device, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to select the group routing policy based on one or more features of the associated communication device.

26:

• The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to modify the packet with the one or more routes of the group routing policy.

27:

• The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the plurality of group routing policies comprises a hierarchical set of group routing policies, at least one of the plurality of group routing policies having at least one sub-group routing policy.

(canceled)

29:

• The network device of claim 1, wherein to select the group routing policy for the user, the one or more processors are configured to apply a Boolean expression to the one or more features of the user information.

30:

• The network device of claim 1, wherein the user information comprises data specifying one or more of:
• (1) name, (2) organizational unit, (3) group, (4) employment status, (5) role in the organization unit, and (6) an access level for the user.

31:

• The method of claim 11, wherein the user information comprises data specifying one or more of:
• (1) name, (2) organizational unit, (3) group, (4) employment status, (5) role in the organization unit, and (6) an access level for the user.

32:

• The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the user information comprises data specifying one or more of:
• (1) name, (2) organizational unit, (3) group, (4) employment status, (5) role in the organization unit, and (6) an access level for the user.

33:

• The network device of claim 1, wherein the information specified by the second portion of metadata comprises tenant information associated with an organizational unit to which the user belongs.