System, device, and method for receiver access control in a multicast communication system

1. A policy server apparatus comprising:

a policy database stored on a computer readable storage medium and containing policy information; and

policy service program code stored on the computer readable storage medium and operably coupled to determine a policy decision indicating whether a subscriber device can be admitted to a multicast group based upon the policy information contained in the policy database, wherein the policy service program code comprises

connection establishment logic operably coupled to establish a policy service connection between the policy server and the access device,

receiving logic operably coupled to receive a policy service request message at the policy server from an access device indicating at least an incoming interface over which a join request was received from the subscriber device by the access device and a multicast group associated,

policy determination logic operably coupled to determine a policy decision indicating whether the subscriber device can be admitted to the multicast group based upon the policy information contained in the policy database and at least the incoming interface over which the join request was received from the subscriber device by the access device and multicast group indicated in the policy service request message, and

sending logic operably coupled to send a policy service decision message from the policy server to the access device including the policy decision indicating whether the subscriber device can be admitted to the multicast group.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the policy service request message comprises a Common Open Policy Service (COPS) request message indicating at least the multicast group.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the COPS request message comprises:

an address for the incoming interface;

an index for the incoming interface; and

an address for the multicast group.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the policy service decision message comprises a Common Open Policy Service (COPS) decision message indicating the policy decision for the subscriber device.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the COPS decision message comprises a command code indicating whether to admit (install) the subscriber device or reject (remove) the subscriber device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the connection establishment logic is operably coupled to receive from the access device a client open message and send to the access device a client accept message.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the client open message comprises a Common Open Policy Service (COPS) client-open message including a client type indicating that the access device is a multicast access point device, and wherein the client accept message comprises a COPS client-accept message.

8. A computer program product including a computer readable storage medium having program code for controlling a computer system stored thereon, the program code comprising:

policy service logic programmed to determine a policy decision indicating whether a subscriber device can be admitted to a multicast group based upon policy information contained in a policy database, wherein the policy service logic comprises

connection establishment logic programmed to establish a policy service connection between a policy server and the access device,

receiving logic programmed to receive a policy service request message from an access device indicating at least an incoming interface over which a join request was received from the subscriber device by the access device and a multicast group,

policy determination logic programmed to determine a policy decision indicating whether the subscriber device can be admitted to the multicast group based upon the policy information contained in the policy database and at least the incoming interface over which the join request was received from the subscriber device by the access device and multicast group indicated in the policy service request message, and

sending logic programmed to send a policy service decision message from the policy server to the access device including the policy decision indicating whether the subscriber device can be admitted to the multicast group.

9. The computer program of claim 8 , wherein the policy service request message comprises a Common Open Policy Service (COPS) request message indicating at least the multicast group.

10. The computer program of claim 9 , wherein the COPS request message comprises:

an address for the incoming interface;

an index for the incoming interface; and an address for the multicast group.

11. The computer program of claim 10 , wherein the policy service decision message comprises a Common Open Policy Service (COPS) decision message indicating the policy decision for the subscriber device.

12. The computer program of claim 11 , wherein the COPS decision message comprises a command code indicating whether to admit (install) the subscriber device or reject (remove) the subscriber device.

13. The computer program of claim 8 , wherein the connection establishment logic is programmed to receive from the access device a client open message and send to the access device a client accept message.

14. The computer program of claim 13 , wherein the client open message comprises a Common Open Policy Service (COPS) client-open message including a client type indicating that the access device is a multicast access point device, and wherein the client accept message comprises a COPS client-accept message.