Patent ID: 8612612
Filing Date: 2013-12-17
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: receiving, with a network device, a portion of a subscriber session packet flow for a subscriber session; reassembling application-layer data from data packets in the subscriber session packet flow into one or more application flows for the subscriber session; identifying, from the one or more application flows, application identity information for the one or more application flows; applying a first session policy to the subscriber session, wherein applying the first session policy comprises applying, by a first services module of the network device, one or more application policies to the one or more application flows in the subscriber session based on subscriber information and the application identity information for the one or more application flows; and processing the one or more application flows in the subscriber session for accessing a packet data network in accordance with the one or more application policies, providing the first session policy to a policy coordinator configured for a communicative connection with one or more additional services modules of the network device; receiving a second portion of the subscriber session packet flow with a second services module from among the one or more additional services modules; receiving, with the second services module, the first session policy from the policy coordinator; and processing the second portion of the subscriber session racket flow with the second services module in accordance with the first session policy as received with the second services module from the policy coordinator.