Patent ID: 8266303

Claim:
A method for managing network connections, the method comprising: storing connection profiles for connections in a connection database, wherein the connections are connections for network devices to connect to a network, and the connection profiles identify network attributes for the connections and each connection profile includes a status of available indicating that the connection for the connection profile is available to be assigned to one of a plurality of the network devices or a status of subscribed indicating that the connection for the connection profile is reserved for a network device and prevented from being assigned to another network device while the reserved connection is not being used by the network device; wherein each connection profile includes a pod and a connection class in the pod, and the pod identifies a set of network devices and the connection class identifies network attributes for the connection; receiving a request for a connection needed by a network device, the request including a pod and a connection class for the connection; and if a stored connection profile is available and matches the pod and connection class of the request, assigning the connection for the matching connection profile to the network device.