Patent ID: 8892068

Claim:
A system, comprising: a first network device configured to: receive a first message from a subscriber device indicating a start of a network session, and send a first request to a second network device for a first quota of service units of a subscriber associated with the subscriber device, wherein the subscriber's first quota of service units comprises a first number of service units paid for by the subscriber, and receive, from the second network device and responsive to the first request, a second message that includes the subscriber's first quota of service units, meter the subscriber device's usage of service units based on the first quota of service units to determine a remaining number of service units, determine whether the first quota of service units has been depleted, send, if the first quota of service units has been depleted, a second request for a second quota of service units of the subscriber to the second network device, receive, from the second network device responsive to the second request, a third message that includes the requested subscriber's second quota of service units, wherein the second quota of service units comprises a second number of service units paid for by the subscriber, meter the subscriber device's usage of service units based on the second quota of service units to determine the remaining number of service units, receive a first session disconnect message from the subscriber device, and send a fourth message indicating the remaining number of service units to the second network device, wherein the first network device, the second network device, and the subscriber device are separate devices.