Flexible and generalized authentication

1. A method performed by an authentication server for authenticating a subscriber, the method comprising:

receiving, at an authentication server, a request message including a plurality of attributes having respective attribute names and respective attribute values;

retrieving a profile object that identifies a first attribute name in association with a first subscription identifier type;

reading a first attribute value from a first attribute of the plurality of attribute values, wherein the first attribute carries the first attribute name;

identifying a second attribute name identified by the profile object in association with a second subscription identifier type;

authenticating the request message based on the second attribute name in association with the second subscription identifier type;

if the authenticating fails, generating a first subscription identifier that carries the first attribute value;

after generating the first subscription identifier, identifying a first subscriber profile using the first subscription identifier; and

authenticating the request message based on the first subscriber profile.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the profile object additionally identifies a second attribute name,

the method further comprises reading a second attribute value from a second attribute of the plurality of attribute values, wherein the second attribute carries the second attribute name, and

the first subscription identifier additionally carries the second attribute value.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein:

the profile object identifies the first attribute name and second attribute name as part of a value pattern specifying at least one of an attribute name order and an additional character, and

the first subscription identifier carries the first attribute name and second attribute name consistent with the value pattern.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the first subscription identifier additionally carries the first subscription identifier type.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein retrieving the profile object comprises:

identifying a requested network access server (NAS) from the request message; and locating a NAS definition associated with the requested NAS,

wherein the profile object comprises at least one of the NAS definition and another object.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein retrieving the profile object further comprises retrieving a NAS profile object identified by the NAS definition, wherein the profile object comprises the NAS profile object.

7. An authentication server for authenticating a subscriber, the authentication server comprising:

a network interface; and

a processor in communication with the network interface, the processor being configured to:

receive, via the network interface, a request message including a plurality of attributes having respective attribute names and respective attribute values;

retrieve a profile object that identifies a first attribute name in association with a first subscription identifier type;

read a first attribute value from a first attribute of the plurality of attribute values, wherein the first attribute carries the first attribute name;

identify a second attribute name identified by the profile object in association with a second subscription identifier type;

authenticate the request message based on the second attribute name in association with the second subscription identifier type;

if authentication fails, generate a first subscription identifier that carries the first attribute value;

after generating the first subscription identifier, identify a first subscriber profile using the first subscription identifier; and

authenticate the request message based on the first subscriber profile.

8. The authentication server of claim 7 , wherein:

the profile object additionally identifies a second attribute name,

the processor is further configured to read a second attribute value from a second attribute of the plurality of attribute values, wherein the second attribute carries the second attribute name, and

the first subscription identifier additionally carries the second attribute value.

9. The authentication server of claim 8 , wherein:

the profile object identifies the first attribute name and second attribute name as part of a value pattern specifying at least one of an attribute name order and an additional character, and

the first subscription identifier carries the first attribute name and second attribute name consistent with the value pattern.

10. The authentication server of claim 7 , wherein:

the first subscription identifier additionally carries the first subscription identifier type.

11. The authentication server of claim 7 , wherein, in retrieving the profile object, the processor is configured to:

identify a requested network access server (NAS) from the request message; and

locate a NAS definition associated with the requested NAS,

wherein the profile object comprises at least one of the NAS definition and another object.

12. The authentication server of claim 11 , wherein, in retrieving the profile object, the processor is further configured to retrieve a NAS profile object identified by the NAS definition, wherein the profile object comprises the NAS profile object.

13. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium encoded with instructions for execution by an authentication server for authenticating a subscriber, the non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising:

instructions for receiving, at an authentication server, a request message including a plurality of attributes having respective attribute names and respective attribute values;

instructions for retrieving a profile object that identifies a first attribute name in association with a first subscription identifier type;

instructions for reading a first attribute value from a first attribute of the plurality of attribute values, wherein the first attribute carries the first attribute name;

instruction for identifying a second attribute name identified by the profile object in association with a second subscription identifier type;

instructions for authenticating the request message based on the second attribute name in association with the second subscription identifier type;

if the authenticating fails, instructions for generating a first subscription identifier that carries the first attribute value;

instructions for, after generating the first subscription identifier, identifying a first subscriber profile using the first subscription identifier; and

instructions for authenticating the request message based on the first subscriber profile.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein:

the profile object additionally identifies a second attribute name,

the non-transitory machine-readable storage medium further comprises instructions for reading a second attribute value from a second attribute of the plurality of attribute values, wherein the second attribute carries the second attribute name, and

the first subscription identifier additionally carries the second attribute value.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein:

the profile object identifies the first attribute name and second attribute name as part of a value pattern specifying at least one of an attribute name order and an additional character, and

the first subscription identifier carries the first attribute name and second attribute name consistent with the value pattern.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein:

the first subscription identifier additionally carries the first subscription identifier type.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions for retrieving the profile object comprise: instructions for identifying a requested network access server (NAS) from the request message; and

instructions for locating a NAS definition associated with the requested NAS,

wherein the profile object comprises at least one of the NAS definition and another object.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions for retrieving the profile object further comprise instructions for retrieving a NAS profile object identified by the NAS definition, wherein the profile object comprises the NAS profile object.