Processing messages correlated to multiple potential entities

A network device for processing a message, the network device comprising:

• a network interface that receives a message;
• an entity storage memory that stores a plurality of entity records, wherein each entity record of the plurality of entity records corresponds to an entity;
• an incoming message processor configured to determine whether the network device should identify an entity associated with the message using a plurality of entity records;
• an entity identification processor configured to, if the network device should identify an entity associated with the message using the plurality of entity records:
• extract at least one identification value from the message,
• identify a set of entity records of the plurality of records as matching the at least one identification value, and
• determine whether the set of entity records includes more than one entity record;
• and
• a multiple record resolver processor configured to, if the set of entity records includes more than one entity record,
• identify a most current entity record of the set of entity records that has been most recently modified, and
• a message processor configured to process the message as being associated with the entity to which the most current entity record corresponds including identifying a policy and charging rules node (PCRN) blade associated with the entity, wherein the entity includes at least one of an Internet Protocol Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) session and a subscriber.

A tangible and non-transitory machine-readable storage medium encoded with instructions for execution by a network device for processing a message, the tangible and non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising:

• instructions for receiving a message at the network device;
• instructions for determining whether the network device should identify an entity associated with the message using a plurality of entity records, wherein each entity record of the plurality of entity records corresponds to an entity;
• instructions for, if the network device should identify an entity associated with the message using the plurality of entity records:
• extracting at least one identification value from the message;
• identifying a set of entity records of the plurality of records as matching the at least one identification value;
• determining whether the set of entity records includes more than one entity record;
• and
• if the set of entity records includes more than one entity record:
• identifying a most current entity record of the set of entity records that has been most recently modified, and
• processing the message as being associated with the entity to which the most current entity record corresponds, including identifying a policy and charging rules node (PCRN) blade associated with the entity, wherein the entity includes at least one of an Internet Protocol Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) session and a subscriber.