Patent ID: 7774481

Claim:
A method, comprising: associating a pluggable policy module with an application while the application is executing at a session layer device operating within a session over Internet Protocol (SoIP) network, wherein associating the pluggable policy module with the application while the application is executing includes selecting the pluggable policy module from a plurality of pluggable policy modules associated with the application based on an input value, wherein the session layer device comprises a session border controller for routing and controlling calls between endpoints and wherein the pluggable policy module implements a policy to control a call involving at least one of the endpoints; receiving a policy service request at the session border controller from an endpoint in communication with the session border controller, wherein the policy service request comprises signaling separate from associated media; defining a session control protocol signal based on a policy value sent to the application from the pluggable policy module, the policy value being calculated by the pluggable policy module based on an input value associated with the policy service request, wherein the policy value comprises a call admission control (CAC) value that triggers, in response to the CAC value satisfying a threshold condition, the session border controller to define the session control protocol signal as a request to establish a session between the endpoint and another device.