Patent ID: 7558863
Filing Date: 2009-07-07
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for maintaining a settings configuration scheme for a subscriber seeking access to a communications network, said method comprising: receiving a forwarded authentication protocol packet, said authentication protocol packet having one or more appended attributes, said attributes appended by using a pool identifier, said pool identifier contained in a user profile assigned to the subscriber and said pool identifier indicating the settings configuration scheme for the subscriber, wherein the user profile is stored in a global memory of the communications network, the global memory containing a collection of user profiles, at least some of which are also stored in a local memory, the global memory operative to provide the user profile assigned to the subscriber if said user profile is unavailable from a local memory; comparing said one or more attributes to a first data structure, said first data structure indicating the settings configuration scheme associated with said one or more attributes; and configuring settings on the communications network in accordance with the settings configuration scheme.