Virtual private data network session count limitation

A data communications network limiting access to a predetermined number of VPN sessions belonging to a particular group, said data communications network comprising:

• a local database associated with a particular PoP of the data communications network, said local database being part of a set of distributed databases and including group identifications, corresponding maximum numbers of VPN sessions for each group at the PoP, and corresponding current VPN session counts for each group at the PoP;
• and
• a local database checker which, in response to a user's attempt to initiate a VPN session on the data communications network as a member of a particular group, checks the local database to determine if the user's VPN session would exceed by a predetermined number said corresponding maximum number of VPN sessions associated with said particular group at the PoP.

A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for limiting the number of VPN sessions raised by users belonging to a particular group in a data communications network to a predetermined number, said method steps comprising:

• maintaining a local database associated with a particular PoP of the data communications network, said database being part of a set of distributed databases and including group identifications, corresponding maximum numbers of VPN sessions for each group at the PoP, and corresponding current VPN session counts for each group at the PoP;
• and
• responding to a user's attempt to initiate a VPN session on the data communications network as a member of a particular group by checking the local database to determine if the user's VPN session would exceed by a predetermined number said corresponding maximum number of VPN sessions associated with said particular group at the PoP.