Patent ID: 6816901
Filing Date: 2004-11-09
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method for limiting access to a data communications network to a predetermined number of proxy sessions belonging to a particular group, the method comprising:maintaining a local database associated with a particular PoP of the data communications network, said database including group identifications, corresponding maximum numbers of proxy sessions for each group at the PoP, and corresponding current proxy session counts for each group at the PoP; responding to a user's attempt to log in to the data communications as a proxy user of a particular group by checking the local database to determine if the users log in would exceed by a predetermined number said corresponding maximum number of proxy sessions associated with said particular group at the PoP; and responding to said user's attempt to log in to the data communications as a proxy user of a particular group by further checking a central database, said central database including group identifications, corresponding maximum numbers of proxy sessions for each group in the data communications network, and corresponding current proxy session counts for each group in the data communications network, said checking a central database including determining if the user's log in would exceed by a predetermined number said corresponding maximum number of proxy sessions associated with said particular group on the data communications network.