Patent ID: 8713201

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving address information regarding a network device and security group information regarding said network device, wherein said address information and said security group information are configured to be received from a first network device, said address information and said security group information are received at a second network device, said address information identifies an address of said network device, said security group information identifies a security group of said network device, and said security group information indicates said network device is a member of said security group; associating said address information and said security group information, wherein said second network device is configured to perform said associating, said associating comprises storing said address information and said security group information such that said address information and said security group information are associated with one another, and said address information and said security group information are configured to allow said security group information to be used in performing access control processing of a packet; receiving another packet at said second network device, wherein said another packet is received from said first network device; determining whether said security group information should be associated with said another packet, wherein said another packet comprises packet address information, said packet address information is address information associated with said network device, and said determining uses said packet address information; and in response to an indication that said security group information should be associated with said another packet, associating said security group information with said another packet, wherein said associating said security group information with said another packet comprises adding said security group information to said another packet.