Patent ID: 8352630

Claim:
A method for applying service based on classification and grouping of traffic flows in a communication path between a first device and a second device said communication path including a first network server and a second network server, the method comprising: receiving, at a first network server, a traffic flow containing packets from the first device; matching, at the first network server, the traffic flow to classification groups, wherein the matching comprises: comparing attributes of the traffic flow with entry criteria of the classification groups; assigning the traffic flow to one or more classification groups where the attributes of the traffic flow meet the entry criteria of the one or more classification groups; applying an indication of membership in the one or more classification groups to the traffic flow; transmitting, by the first network server, the traffic flow to a second network server, wherein the traffic flow includes the indication of membership; identifying, at the second network server, one or more service definitions for the traffic flow based on the indication of membership applied to the traffic flow by the first network server; providing, at the second network server, a service to the traffic flow based on the one or more identified service definitions; and transmitting, by the second network server, the traffic flow to the second device.