Dynamic binding of network services
View Patent ↗A method and apparatus for dynamic binding of network services is described. A network device comprises at least one processor, memory, I/O, and at least one virtual network machine in the memory, said at least one virtual network machine including a first network interface, a first sub-interface data structure in the memory, and a first binding data structure in the memory which binds the first network interface to the first sub-interface data structure.
1. A method of creating links between multiple subscriber end stations and multiple network domains comprising:
providing a network device including an electronic memory encoded with multiple respective virtual routers, each of said respective virtual includes respective control information to forward data within a respective network domain, said each of respective virtual routers respectively including at least one respective network interface for the respective network domain;
providing respective subscriber records in an electronic memory that include respective information as to network domains to which respective subscriber end stations of respective subscribers can access;
providing multiple respective sub-interface data structures in the electronic memory respectively associated with respective subscribers;
searching respective subscriber records to identify respective network domains that may be accessed by a respective subscriber end station of a respective subscriber; and
creating respective binding data structures that respectively bind respective sub-interface data structures respectively associated with respective subscribers to respective network interfaces for respective network domains identified from searching respective subscriber records.
2. The method of claim 1 further including:
providing respective subscriber authentication information and respective subscriber authorization information in respective subscriber records;
providing subscriber authentication and authorization services; and
authenticating and authorizing subscriber access to respective network domains using respective subscriber records and the subscriber authentication and authorization services.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein,
the multiple respective sub-interface data structures include multiple respective virtual circuits.
4. The method of claim 1 further including:
providing in respective subscriber records multiple possible network domain binding options for a respective subscriber.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein,
information in respective subscriber records identify multiple respective possible network domains to which respective subscriber end stations of respective subscribers may be bound; and
information in respective subscriber records provide respective criteria for selecting between multiple respective network domains for a respective subscriber.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
dynamically binding subscribers to respective network interfaces for respective network domains with the respective binding data structure.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
changing the binding of one of the subscribers to a different one of the network interfaces for a different one of the network domains, where in the change is based on the one subscriber's subscriber record.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the binding change is based on time of day.
9. A subscriber management system comprising:
a network device including an electronic memory encoded with multiple respective virtual routers in the memory, each of said respective virtual routers includes respective control information to forward data within a respective network domain, said each of respective virtual routers respectively including at least one respective network interface to the respective network domain;
respective subscriber records in an electronic memory that include respective information as to network domains to which respective subscriber end stations of respective subscribers are bound;
multiple respective sub-interface data structures in the electronic memory respectively associated with respective subscribers;
a computer program in electronic memory that searches respective subscriber records to identify respective network domains that may be accessed by respective subscriber ends stations of respective subscribers; and
respective binding data structures that respectively bind respective sub-interface data structures associated with respective subscribers to respective network interfaces to respective network domains identified from searching respective subscriber records.
10. The system of claim 9 wherein,
information in respective subscriber records identify multiple respective possible network domains to which respective subscriber end stations of respective subscribers may be bound; and
information in respective subscriber records provide respective criteria for selecting between multiple respective network domains for respective subscribers.
11. The system of claim 9 , further including:
respective subscriber authentication information and respective subscriber authorization information in respective subscriber records,
wherein the computer program further includes subscriber authentication and authorization services; and authenticating and authorizing subscriber access to respective network domains using respective subscriber records and the subscriber authentication and authorization services.
12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the computer program further comprises:
dynamically binding subscribers to respective network interfaces for respective network domains with the respective binding data structure.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the computer program further comprises:
changing the binding of one of the subscribers to a different one of the network interfaces for a different one of the network domains, where in the change is based on the one subscriber's subscriber record.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the binding change is based on time of day.