Dynamic policy control for application flow processing in a network device

A network device comprising:

• a first services module;
• and
• a routing engine that includes a policy coordinator component,
• wherein the first services module comprises:
• a deep packet inspection component;
• a policy control engine, with a communicative connection with the routing engine;
• and
• a master subscriber session table;
• wherein the deep packet inspection component is configured to:
• receive a portion of a subscriber session packet flow for a subscriber session;
• reassemble application-layer data from data packets in the subscriber session packet flow into one or more application flows for the subscriber session;
• notify the policy control engine of subscriber information and application identity information for the one or more application flows;
• and notify the policy control engine of a deactivation of one of the application flows or an activation of a new application flow in the subscriber session;
• wherein the policy control engine is configured to:
• apply a first session policy, comprising an application policy for the one or more application flows, to the subscriber session based at least in part on the subscriber information and the application identity information for the one or more application flows;
• provide the first session policy to the master subscriber session table and to the policy coordinator component;
• apply an updated session policy to the subscriber session based at least in part on the deactivation of one of the application flows or the activation of the new application flow;
• provide the updated session policy to the master subscriber session table and to the policy coordinator component;
• and receive a different updated session policy from the policy coordinator component;
• and
• wherein the first services module is configured to provide the first session policy and the updated session policy from the master subscriber session table to a forwarding unit configured to process at least a portion of the subscriber session packet flow for accessing a packet data network in accordance with the one or more application policies in the first session policy or the updated session policy.

A control device comprising:

• a policy coordinator, the policy coordinator comprising a policy information and session state repository, wherein the control device is configured to:
• receive a series of session policies for a subscriber session packet flow from a first policy control engine of a first services module in a first gateway router, the series of session policies comprising an initial session policy and one or more updated session policies based on updated application packet flows within the subscriber session packet flow, the one or more updated session policies comprising a current session policy;
• receive a query for the current session policy for the subscriber session packet flow from a second policy control engine of a second services module in a second gateway router;
• and
• communicate the current session policy for the subscriber session packet flow from the policy coordinator comprised in the control device to the second policy control engine of the second services module in the second gateway router.