Abstract:
Current subscriber-aware networks provision individual subscriber parameters in a centrally located repository and return the parameters to entities for quality of service (QoS) enforcement on a per-subscriber basis. In other words, there is a one-to-one mapping of each QoS profile for each subscriber. Attaching QoS profiles to each subscriber can result in very high resource requirements, such as a larger memory footprint or multiple policing profiles, resulting in a non-scalable network resource. To resolve resource explosion problem without sacrificing functional requirements, an example embodiment of the present invention allows few service classes with QoS parameters to exist and derives various subscriber plans out of them. The example embodiment is useful to generate subscriber plans dynamically as subscribers join network and thereby helps to reduce QoS resource requirements dramatically, without sacrificing any functional capability.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/278,505, filed on Oct. 7, 2009, the entire teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    In subscriber aware networks, such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax) networks, High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) networks, 3 rd  Generation Partnership Project Long Term Evolution (3GPP LTE) networks etc., quality of service (QoS) parameters are tightly associated with each subscriber. Due to network resource constraints such as radio bandwidth, QoS is enforced end-to-end on per subscriber basis. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Embodiments of the present invention include methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for enforcing service profiles in a mobile network. An example embodiment of the present invention includes a network node in a mobile network that includes modules configured to enforce service profiles. Modules are configured to compare service profiles based on service parameters and define service-profile identifiers with service profile having common service parameters. Further, the modules can group subscriber identifiers with the service-profile identifiers based on the service profiles and enforce the service profiles for each subscriber identifier. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]    The foregoing will be apparent from the following more particular description of example embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0005]      FIG. 1  is a network diagram of a network illustrating aspects of an example embodiment of the invention. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an embodiment of the invention illustrating interconnected functional elements. 
           [0007]      FIG. 3A  is a flow chart of an embodiment of the present invention illustrating functions involved in enforcing service profiles. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3B  is a flow diagram of an embodiment of the present invention illustrating a method of enforcing service profiles. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3C  is a block diagram of an embodiment of the invention illustrating components involved in enforcing service profiles. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a flow chart of an embodiment of the invention illustrating a method of mapping quality of service profiles in an enforcement device. 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a logical diagram of an embodiment of the present invention illustrating a memory. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    A description of example embodiments of the invention follows. 
         [0013]    In current subscriber-aware mobile networks, parameters of each subscriber are provisioned in a centrally located repository, such as an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server or home location register (HLR). These parameters are returned to entities enforcing quality of service (QoS) on a per-subscriber basis, which limits the number of subscribers that can be supported. 
         [0014]    Previous approaches attempt a solution with infinite resources that can copy each QoS profile on per-subscriber basis and can have one-to-one mapping in software, as well as hardware. The previous attempts at solutions placed severe limitations on the number of subscribers that can be supported by a network. Other attempts to solve this problem tried to share common parameters, such as classifiers, in a scarce resource such as a ternary content addressable memory (TCAM), such that packets matching a set of classifiers can be mapped to one QoS class even though packets may arrive from two different subscribers. Previous approaches in the industry program a TCAM with classifier for each subscriber (with each subscriber&#39;s Internet protocol (IP) address), causing the scarce resource memory of the data plane to be quickly exhausted. Furthermore, prior approaches cannot support overlapping classifiers. 
         [0015]    Example embodiments of the present invention allow a profile identifier to be associated to a given set of subscribers first, and classifiers for that profile identifier are programmed. Each profile identifier creates a unique (disjoint) set of classifiers that can be matched in parallel in the TCAM. Following receipt of a traffic packet, the forwarding engine can perform a look-up of the profile and use it to form a TCAM key. Based on the TCAM key, the TCAM can look-up only the classifiers that are needed. This provides the service class within a given profile. A look-up of classifiers using a subscriber identifier, which can include, for example, an IP address, international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), or other known or future-developed identifier, can map the subscriber identifier to a unique QoS profile in hardware; thereby reducing QoS resource requirements without sacrificing functional capability. 
         [0016]    In the example embodiment, a system-wide profile identifier is assigned to a plan; all subsequent subscribers with that plan can be mapped, at an enforcement device such as an Access Signaling Node Gateway (ASN-GN), Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN), or a network processing unit (NPU), with that system-wide profile identifier. For example, if a service provider has ten service plans and one million subscribers using those ten service plans, then a memory in a control plane of the example embodiment is only consumed for the ten plans. In alternative embodiments, data corresponding to the ten service plans are maintained strictly in the data plane, offloading more data and processing from this control plane. Details of which are described in Applicants&#39; pending U.S. patent application (Serial Number not yet assigned) being filed concurrently herewith, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Assigning Resources in a Network Node” by Santosh Chandrachood, which claims priority to Applicants&#39; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/278,486, filed Oct. 7, 2009, entitled “A Method and Apparatus to Allocate Network Processing Unit Resources Dynamically in Fast Path Without Host CPU Involvement and Without Statically Holding Up Resources” by Chandrachood, the entire teachings of both applications being incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
         [0017]    Embodiments of the present invention can account for a fact that a network operator may create a few service classes with QoS parameters and derive various subscriber plans out of service classes. For example, a service provider can have voice1, voice2, voice3, video1, video2, video3, BE1, BE2, BE3 service classes but may create plans such as Gold&#39;{voice1, video1, BE1} and so on. Embodiments of the present invention may enable plans to be generated in a dynamic manner as subscribers join the network. 
         [0018]    Embodiments of the present invention provide various technical advantages over conventional methods and apparatuses for allocating resource in a network node, such as scaling network resources to handle large numbers of classifiers by “chunking” classifiers together dynamically without truncation. Some of these technical advantages are shown and described with respect to the accompanying figures. Certain embodiments of the present invention may enjoy some, all, or none of these advantages. Other technical advantages should be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following figures, description, and claims. 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is a network diagram of a network  100  illustrating aspects of an example embodiment of the invention. The network  100  can be any type of network with wireless access, such as a wide area network (WAN) having wireless access thereto, wireless broadband network employing a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax) network, High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) network, 3 rd  or 4 th  Generation Partnership Project Long Term Evolution (3GPP LTE) network, or other commonly employed or hereafter-developed network. The network  100  can include at least one access network  101  to interconnect operably with a number of network elements, which may include, for example, mobile end user devices (hereinafter “mobile devices”)  150   a - g.    
         [0020]    The access network  101  can connect basic network elements such as a mobility management entity (MME) (not shown), home location register (HLR) (not shown), home agent  125 , gateways  120   a - b , or other known network elements. The access network  101  connects to at least one base station  140   a - f , either directly or through additional networks, such as an edge network (not shown), which connect mobile devices  150   a - g  via a telecommunications interface or wireless medium, e.g., an air interface. The home agent  125  further connects the wireless network to external networks, e.g., the Internet  116  or a mobile switching center containing service portals  115   a - d . The service portals  115   a - d  can include a multitude of service types, for example, an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server  115   a,  dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server  115   b,  billing server  115   c,  home policy function (PF) server  115   d,  or other type of portal that may be used at the mobile switching center. The AAA server  115   a  may provide authentication services to validate a subscriber, authorization to determine the subscriber&#39;s rights, and accounting to determine subscriber&#39;s usage. The DHCP server  115   b  may provide for address allocation services in a manual, automatic, or dynamic manner, or as otherwise provided by a network administrator. The PF server  115   d  may provide general policy rules or application dependent policy rules. The PF server  115   d  may evaluate network requests against the policies and may be associated with a home policy database, which may be associated with a network service processor (NSP) (not shown). 
         [0021]    For example, continuing to refer to  FIG. 1 , the traffic  102 , originating at a mobile device, such as mobile device  150   b,  may travel upstream toward the base station  140   b  via wireless medium  199 , which, in turn, may forward the traffic  102  to the gateway  120   a  via the wireless medium  199 . The gateway  120   a  can be any of a multitude of wireless gateways, may include, for example, an Access Signaling Node Gateway (ASN-GN), Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN), Serving General Packet Radio Service Support Node (SGSN), System Architecture Evolution (SAE) gateway, or other currently known or hereafter-developed gateway. In the example network  100 , the gateway  120   a  may contain at least one functional element, or multiple functional elements in a chassis  160   a - f ; the functional elements can be, for example, a line card. The functional element  160   a  (described in more detail below in reference to  FIG. 2 ) receives the traffic  102 , from the downstream base station  140   b,  and may perform network resource functions prior to transmitting the traffic  102  to the home agent  125  or final destination. 
         [0022]    Example embodiments of the present invention can include a quality of service (QoS) classifier table  131 , which can be located at a network node, such as gateway  120   b.  The QoS classifier table  131  can maintain or include information relating to a subscriber or set of subscribers  150   a - g  on the network  100 . The QoS classifier table  131  can be a centrally located repository for individual subscriber parameters that can be used by or forwarded to entities in the network  100  to enforce QoS on a per-subscriber basis. 
         [0023]    Alternatively, an example embodiment of the present invention can support scalability of network resources and provide for fast processing on a per-subscriber basis because the embodiment can group subscribers together based on common parameters. The QoS classifier table  131  can map multiple subscribers with common parameters to a single class of service type (not shown), thereby lowering resource requirements on the network elements. In alternative example embodiments, QoS can provide different priorities to different elements of the network, which may include, for example, providing different services based on applications, subscribers, performance level, data flows, or other commonly known or here-after developed elements requiring quality of service specifications. QoS parameters can include, for example, delay, jitter, bit rate, guarantees, bandwidth, or other commonly employed or hereafter-developed parameters useful for quality of service in a network, such as a mobile communications network. 
         [0024]    An example embodiment of the present invention includes a subscriber-aware switch, such as switch  119  in  FIG. 1 , that directs traffic from a subscriber to the specific line card where the subscriber&#39;s profile is maintained; for example, the switch can be configured to determine a subscriber profile associated with the communications traffic  102 . Details of a subscriber-aware switch are described further in Applicants&#39; pending U.S. patent application (Serial Number not yet assigned) being filed concurrently herewith, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Switching Communications Traffic in a Communications Network” by Santosh Chandrachood and Pawan Uberoy, which claims priority to Applicants&#39; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/278,496, filed Oct. 7, 2009, entitled “A Method and Apparatus for Subscriber Distribution and Load Balancing Using Mid-Plane Design in a Subscriber Aware Platform Such as ASN Gateway, GGSN, SGSN etc.” by Chandrachood et al., the entire teachings of both applications being incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The switch  119  is a subscriber-aware switch and has knowledge of the subscriber&#39;s profile location, whereas previous switches are non-subscriber-aware switches, for example, such as multiplexer switches, which merely switch traffic without being aware of the traffic&#39;s destination. 
         [0025]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram  200  of an embodiment of the invention illustrating interconnected functional elements  260   a - b , where functional element  260   b  is designated as an anchor functional element. The functional elements  260   a - b  are interconnected operably via a fabric  265 ; alternatively, all functional elements in a chassis may be interconnected via a fabric  265 . 
         [0026]    When a subscriber enters a network, like the network  100  in  FIG. 1 , service flows and other configurable attributes, such as quality of service (QoS) parameters, are created or provisioned as per the attributes. A service flow management (SFM) entity at a base station, may be a logical entity that may create, admit, activate, modify, or delete service flows as may be desired or needed. The QoS classifiers may be used to implement service flows, where QoS classifiers may include, for example, congestion avoidance, congestion management (e.g., priority queuing), classification, traffic conditioning (e.g., shaping flows using different rates), marking, or traffic separation. 
         [0027]    Example embodiments of the present invention can include a functional element at a gateway node, or other network node, which has access to a network processing unit (NPU). For example, the block diagram  200  illustrates two functional elements  260   a - b , which are interconnected by a fabric  264 . The functional elements  260   a - b  can be, for example, line cards around a network node, or multiple line cards in a chassis. The functional element  260   a  is designated as a local functional element and the functional element  260   b  is designated as an anchor functional element. The functional element  260   a  receives the traffic  202 , from a downstream base station (not shown), and may perform network resource functions prior to transmitting the traffic  202  to a second functional element  260   b.  The functional element  260   b  can be an anchor line card, such that the anchor line card  260   b  includes information on a subscriber in the network. For example, a subscriber has a subscriber profile (explained in more detail below) at line card  260   b,  which is thereby designated, optionally by a central processing unit (CPU)  264   a,  as the anchor line card out of any interconnected line cards because the subscriber&#39;s profile is located at that specific line card  260   b.  However, any line card, which may be physically or logically interconnected, can be designated as an anchor line card for the same subscriber&#39;s profile of other subscriber profiles. Further, line cards can be a primary anchor or backup anchor, where backup anchor line cards become primary anchor line cards for a subscriber&#39;s profile in an event of a failure of the primary anchor, configuration, or other fault, depending on multiple factors, for example, where a subscriber&#39;s profile is located. 
         [0028]    Functional element  260   a  receives subscriber traffic from a network or base station (as illustrated in  FIG. 1 ) via an ingress-interface port  271 ; the specific ingress-interface port  271  can be determined based on a protocol designated in the traffic packet. Alternatively, the functional element  260   a  can receive subscriber traffic via a fabric  265  from a different line card (not shown) in a chassis or otherwise interconnected to functional element  260   a  in a logical or physical configuration. However received, traffic packet  202  may directly enter NPU  263   a  via a NPU interface (not shown), or, alternatively, the traffic packet  202  may enter a traffic management entity  219   a,  which may direct the packet further using commonly employed or hereafter-developed methods of traffic management. The NPU  263   a  can forward the traffic packet directly to the anchor functional element  260   b  via fabric  265  using information from the CPU  264   a,  which is configured to know the anchor line card of the subscriber traffic. In alternative embodiments, all CPUs in the network node collectively determine the anchor line card for a given subscriber. 
         [0029]    Similar to the functional element  260   a,  the anchor functional element  260   b  can receive the traffic packet  202 , which can directly enter NPU  263   b  via a NPU interface (not shown), or, alternatively, the traffic packet  202  may enter a traffic management entity  219   b,  which may direct the packet further using commonly employed or hereafter-developed methods of traffic management. 
         [0030]    The NPU  263   b  at the anchor functional element  260   b  can determine, in conjunction with the CPU  264   b,  classifier table  231 , and other optionally interconnected devices, service parameters. For example, in one embodiment, the service parameters can be determined using a service type  255   a - c  of network traffic  202  that is associated with service profiles, the service parameters can be quality of service (QoS) parameters. Alternatively, in other example embodiments, the service parameters can be determined as a function of the subscriber identifier and the service class identifier. The classifier table  231  can determine rules  256   a - c  to apply to the traffic  202  based on the service type  255   a - c  and determine actions  259   a - c  to apply to the traffic based on the determined rules  256   a - c.    
         [0031]    For example, another embodiment of the present invention can allow a subscriber on the network to be determined with a certain service profile. The service profile can be contained in a table, such as a QoS profile table  232 , which may include the subscriber&#39;s service type information  255   a - c , the rules  256   a - c  associated with that type of service, and the actions  259   a - c  that can be taken based on the rules and services of the subscriber. The service type  255   a - c  can include, for example, data service  255   a , voice service  255   b,  video stream service  255   c,  etc., where the voice service  255   b  has classifiers, or rules  256   b,  that can allow for different actions  259   b  to take place. 
         [0032]    For example, one rule can state that if the call is an emergency call, mark the first traffic packet received as a high priority packet; therefore, the action may be to send that traffic packet as a high priority packet. Any additional packets determined to have the same protocol address, such as a wide area network (WAN) protocol address, as the first packet, are similarly marked with the subscriber identifier of the first packet. 
         [0033]    Additional example embodiments of the present invention can include a module at a network node, which has access to a NPU, which can determine service parameters using a service type of network traffic that is associated with service profiles, the service parameters can be QoS parameters. The module can be in ay configuration, may include one or more corresponding or interconnected modules, in a system of any physical or logical configuration. 
         [0034]      FIG. 3A  is a flow chart  300   a  illustrating a method by which a line card, such as the line card  260   b  of  FIG. 2 , can enforce service profiles according to an example embodiment of the present invention. According to the example embodiment, the flow chart  300   a  compares service profiles of subscribers in a network, such as the network  100  of  FIG. 1 , based on service parameters associated with the service profiles ( 381 ). The line card then defines service-profile identifiers for service profiles that have the same or common service parameters ( 382 ). The line card may create groups of subscribers, based on the subscriber identifiers associated with each subscriber, where creating a group can include grouping subscriber identifiers with service-profile identifiers based on the service profiles ( 383 ). Further, the line card may use the service profile identifiers to enforce service profiles on a per-subscriber basis ( 384 ). 
         [0035]    Alternative example embodiments can allow for identifying new subscribers joining the mobile network that may need a new service-profile identifier and generating one in a dynamic manner for that new subscriber. If the subscriber is not a new subscriber, in other words, the subscriber is associated with an existing subscriber identifier, it is determined whether that subscriber identifier is associated with a service-profile identifier, if not associated, a service-profile identifier having common service parameters as the subscriber identifier is generated in a dynamic manner and associated with the subscriber identifier. 
         [0036]      FIG. 3B  is a flow diagram  300   b  illustrating a method by which a network node, such as the gateway node  120   b  in  FIG. 1 , can enforce service profiles according to an embodiment of the present invention. According to the example embodiment, the flow diagram  300   b  compares service profiles based on service parameters ( 381 ), where the service parameters can be determined using quality of service (QoS) parameters ( 389 ). QoS parameters may include services, rules, and actions for a specific subscriber or group of subscribers in a network, such as network  100  in  FIG. 1 ; the QoS parameters can be determined by determining a service type associated with a service profile ( 390 ), then determining the rules associated with the service type ( 391 ), and then determining actions that can be taken or applied to traffic in the network based on the rules ( 392 ). The flow diagram  300   b  can compare service profiles based on service parameters ( 381 ). Based on the determined service parameters or QoS parameters, service-profile identifiers are defined with service profiles ( 382 ); the service profiles can then be mapped to an enforcement device, such as a memory ( 393 ). Alternatively, service profiles or additional information may be mapped to the enforcement device at any time. 
         [0037]    Continuing to refer to  FIG. 3B , the flow diagram  300   b  performs a look-up of subscriber identifiers of the subscribers in the network, such that each subscriber can have a unique subscriber identifier ( 394 ). Following determination of subscriber identifiers, the example embodiment groups subscriber identifiers, based on service profiles, to service-profile identifiers ( 383 ). The flow diagram  300   b  can combine multiple subscriber identifiers with common parameters, which can be grouped as service-profile identifiers. The grouped service-profile identifiers can enhance efficient use of network resources by having fewer identifiers than subscribers in the network because the subscriber identifiers can be grouped. Details of which are described in Applicants&#39; pending U.S. patent application (Serial Number not yet assigned) being filed concurrently herewith, entitled “Method and Apparatus to Report Resource Values in a Mobile Network” by Santosh Chandrachood and Henry Fung, which claims priority to Applicants&#39; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/278,520, filed Oct. 7, 2009, entitled “A Method and Apparatus to Read Large Hardware Counters in a Scalable Way” by Chandrachood et al., the entire teachings of both applications being incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The example embodiment of the flow diagram  300   b  determines actual enforcement parameters, such as determining the actual service type, maximum rate, queuing parameters, statistics, or policy enforcement procedures for the subscriber identifier. In some embodiments, the service profiles are enforced on a per-subscriber-identifier basis using the profile identifiers ( 384 ). 
         [0038]    Alternative embodiments of the present invention may include additional QoS parameters, where the QoS parameters are specified for different layers of a system. QoS parameters can include, for example, expected performance characteristics, degree of synchronization between related services, events, rules, actions, or information flows, degree of resource commitment, cost of service, service access point specifications, and other commonly known or hereafter-developed requirements. 
         [0039]    Alternative embodiments may allow for actual enforcement parameters to be bearer dependent, include traffic scheduling information, ordering, queuing, or other commonly employed or hereafter-developed procedures for enforcing quality of service or service parameters. 
         [0040]      FIG. 3C  is a block diagram  300   c  illustrating a network node  380  according to an example embodiment of the present invention. Components of the network node  380  can include an evaluation module  385 , characterization module  386 , collection module  387 , and enforcement module  388 . According to the example embodiment, the evaluation module  385  compares multiple service profiles  358  based on service parameters  353  corresponding with the service profiles  358 . The evaluation module  385  can forward a copy of information, such as the service profiles  358  and the service parameters  353 , to the characterization module  386 . The characterization module  386  can define service-profile identifiers  352  based on the service profiles  358  that have common service parameters  353 . The collection module  387  is configured such that it can receive information from the characterization module  386 , may include, for example, the service profiles  358 , the service parameters  353 , and the service-profile identifiers  352 ; alternatively, the collection module  387  can receive service-profile identifiers  352  and service profiles  358 . The collection module  387  can group subscriber identifiers (described in more detail in reference to  FIG. 5 ) with the service-profile identifiers  352  based on the service profiles  358 . The enforcement module  388  can enforce service profiles  358  on a per-subscriber-identifier basis using the service-profile identifiers  352 . 
         [0041]    In alternative embodiments, any or all of the modules  385 - 388  may exist on a functional element at a network node or as individual, interconnected modules located at different sites on a network, such as network  100  in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0042]      FIG. 4  is a flow chart  400  illustrating a unit in a line card, such as the NPU  263   b  of  FIG. 2  can map quality of service profiles in an enforcement device, where, for example, the enforcement device is a memory. Additional embodiments of the present invention allow for a memory to store service-profile identifiers or map the service profiles such that the information is accessible to the NPU. For example, following receipt of a packet at a module ( 495 ), a second module performs multiple table look-ups in order to map a service profile, where the service profile is based on unique QoS parameters. First, the service-profile identifier is looked-up in a hardware device ( 496 ); second, the service parameters are looked-up based on the information determined from the first look-up ( 497 ); last, the subscriber identifier is determined ( 498 ), which can be a dynamically determined identifier associated with a single user, associated with the determined service-profile identifiers can be retrieved and mapped in the memory ( 499 ). Based on a combination of any of the determined information, a service profile is enforced using enforcement parameters based on the unique QoS classifiers of the subscriber identifier. 
         [0043]    Alternative embodiments of the present invention can map QoS information, or other information regarding a subscriber in a network, to a table or module in any configuration or format, where such modules can be in a system of any physical or logical configuration. 
         [0044]      FIG. 5  is a logical diagram of a memory  500 . The memory  500  can be any memory, for example, a ternary content addressable memory (TCAM)  535 , which can be used as an enforcement device. TCAM memory is particularly suitable for the described application because other forms of memory may also be employed. The TCAM  535  may include information and data necessary to provide efficient resource allocation of the quality of service (QoS) profiles, such as a subscriber table  531 , which can maintain individual subscriber identifiers  557   a - f , and the profile identifiers  552   a - c  corresponding with the individual subscriber identifiers  557   a - f . For example, a subscriber entering the mobile network is assigned and provisioned a specific subscriber identifier; such that a first subscriber is assigned subscriber identifier “S1”  557   a,  which is associated with profile identifier “P1”  552   a.    
         [0045]    The subscriber table  531  can forward a copy of the profile identifiers  552   a - c  to a secondary table, a QoS profile table  532 , which can include payload of traffic  502  corresponding with the profile identifiers  552   a - c  and further corresponding to QoS and service parameters  553   a - c . QoS parameters may include information regarding a set or sets of services  555 , which can correspond to a set or sets of rules  556 , which further can correspond to a set or sets of actions  559 . For example, the profile identifier “P1”  552   a  corresponds to QoS parameters, for example, service class 1 (SC1)  553   a.  The service class  553   a  may contain a multitude of information, which may include, for example, the service  555 , rule  556 , or action  559  that correspond to the profile identifier  552   a.    
         [0046]    The QoS profile table  532  may forward the QoS information or a copy of the service class  553   a - c  information to a tertiary table, a QoS match table  533 , which can include, for example, the subscriber identifiers  557   a - c  and the QoS service classifiers that correspond to the individual subscriber identifiers  557   a - c.    
         [0047]    Alternative embodiments of the present invention can include, for example, multiple types of memory interconnected or available to forward and receive data from another memory unit. Other embodiments may include fewer or greater numbers of tables with similar or different network information. 
         [0048]    Further example embodiments of the present invention may include a non-transitory computer readable medium containing instruction that may be executed by a processor, and, when executed, cause the processor to monitor the information, such as components or status, of at least a first and second network element. It should be understood that elements of the block and flow diagrams described herein may be implemented in software, hardware, firmware, or other similar medium determined in the future. In addition, the elements of the block and flow diagrams described herein may be combined or divided in any manner in software, hardware, or firmware. If implemented in software, the software may be written in any language that can support the example embodiments disclosed herein. The software may be stored in any form of computer readable medium, such as random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), compact disk read only memory (CD-ROM), and so forth. In operation, a general purpose or application specific processor loads and executes software in a manner well understood in the art. It should be understood further that the block and flow diagrams may include more or fewer elements, be arranged or oriented differently, or be represented differently. It should be understood that implementation may dictate the block, flow, and/or network diagrams and the number of block and flow diagrams illustrating the execution of embodiments of the invention. 
         [0049]    The teachings of all patents, published applications, and references cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
         [0050]    While this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to example embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims.