Patent ID: 7739372

Claim:
A method of controlling the usage by an attached function of network services associated with a network system that includes the attached function, one or more other attached functions and one or more network infrastructure devices, the method comprising the steps of: a. determining whether a stored policy exists for an attached function seeking access to the network services; b. if the stored policy history exists for the attached function, establishing in one or more packet forwarding devices of the network infrastructure connected to the attached function one or more static and/or dynamic policies for the attached function for network services usage based upon the stored policy history; c. if no stored policy history exists for the attached function, establishing for the attached function one or more static and/or dynamic policies for network services usage; d. monitoring the network system for triggers; e. modifying in one or more of the one or more packet forwarding devices one or more static and/or dynamic policies for the attached function upon the detection of one or more of the monitored triggers; and f. saving set and modified policies associated with the attached function as the stored policy history for the attached function, wherein a portion of the saved set and modified policies are stored on one or more of the one or more packet forwarding devices and a remainder of the saved set and modified policies are stored on another network infrastructure device.