Host connectivity verification

1. A method for verifying subscriber host connectivity, comprising:

obtaining network address lease information associated with a subscriber host, wherein the subscriber host uses a lease to communicate over a network;

sending to the subscriber host a unicast address resolution protocol (ARP) request to determine a status of a connection of the subscriber host with the network when a session-less networking protocol that does not retain host connectivity state information is employed for communication;

determining, based at least in part on whether a response to the ARP request is received from the subscriber host, whether the subscriber host remains connected to the network; and

in the event that a response to the ARP request is not received from the subscriber host, concluding that the subscriber host is no longer connected to the network and terminating the subscriber host's lease;

wherein sending to the subscriber host a unicast ARP request to determine a status of a connection of the subscriber host with the network comprises periodically sending the unicast ARP request to the subscriber host to verify the subscriber host's continued connection to the network until the subscriber host's lease is terminated.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising storing the network address lease information associated with the subscriber host in an ARP cache and wherein an entry for the subscriber host in the ARP cache maps a network address assigned to the subscriber host to a physical address of the subscriber host to which the unicast ARP request is addressed.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the network address comprises an IP address.

4. A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the physical address comprises a media access control (MAC) address.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the network comprises a service provider network.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the session-less networking protocol comprises dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP).

7. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein determining whether the subscriber host remains connected to the network includes determining whether the subscriber host remains connected to one or more services provided via the network.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein in the event that a response to the ARP request is received from the subscriber host, concluding that the subscriber host remains connected to the network.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the ARP request is sent by a service provider equipment.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the ARP request is sent by a provider edge router.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein terminating the subscriber host's lease comprises terminating a process associated with providing to the subscriber host access via the network to a service.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein terminating the subscriber host's lease comprises purging an entry associated with the subscriber host from an ARP cache that stores the network address lease information associated with the subscriber host.

13. A system for verifying subscriber host connectivity, comprising:

a processor configured to:

obtain network address lease information associated with a subscriber host, wherein the subscriber host uses a lease to communicate over a network;

send to the subscriber host a unicast address resolution protocol (ARP) request to determine a status of a connection of the subscriber host with the network when a session-less networking protocol that does not retain host connectivity state information is employed for communication;

determine, based at least in part on whether a response to the ARP request is received from the subscriber host, whether the subscriber host remains connected to the network; and

in the event that a response to the ARP request is not received from the subscriber host, conclude that the subscriber host is no longer connected to the network and terminate the subscriber host's lease; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide instructions to the processor;

wherein sending to the subscriber host a unicast ARP request to determine a status of a connection of the subscriber host with the network comprises periodically sending the unicast ARP request to the subscriber host to verify the subscriber host's continued connection to the network until the subscriber host's lease is terminated.

14. A system as recited in claim 13 , wherein the session-less networking protocol comprises dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP).

15. A system as recited in claim 13 , wherein in the event that a response to the ARP request is received from the subscriber host, the processor is further configured to conclude that the subscriber host remains connected to the network.

16. A system as recited in claim 13 , wherein to terminate the subscriber host's lease comprises to terminate a process associated with providing to the subscriber host access via the network to a service.

17. A system as recited in claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to store the network address lease information associated with the subscriber host in an ARP cache and wherein an entry for the subscriber host in the ARP cache maps a network address assigned to the subscriber host to a physical address of the subscriber host to which the unicast ARP request is addressed.

18. A system as recited in claim 13 , wherein to terminate the subscriber host's lease comprises purging an entry associated with the subscriber host from an ARP cache that stores the network address lease information associated with the subscriber host.

19. A computer program product for verifying subscriber host connectivity, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

obtaining network address lease information associated with a subscriber host, wherein the subscriber host uses a lease to communicate over a network;

sending to the subscriber host a unicast address resolution protocol (ARP) request to determine a status of a connection of the subscriber host with the network when a session-less networking protocol that does not retain host connectivity state information is employed for communication;

determining, based at least in part on whether a response to the ARP request is received from the subscriber host, whether the subscriber host remains connected to the network; and

in the event that a response to the ARP request is not received from the subscriber host, concluding that the subscriber host is no longer connected to the network and terminating the subscriber host's lease;

wherein sending to the subscriber host a unicast ARP request to determine a status of a connection of the subscriber host with the network comprises periodically sending the unicast ARP request to the subscriber host to verify the subscriber host's continued connection to the network until the subscriber host's lease is terminated.

20. A system as recited in claim 17 , wherein the network address comprises an IP address and wherein the physical address comprises a media access control (MAC) address.

21. A computer program product as recited in claim 19 , wherein in the event that a response to the ARP request is received from the subscriber host, concluding that the subscriber host remains connected to the network.

22. A computer program product as recited in claim 19 , wherein terminating the subscriber host's lease comprises terminating a process associated with providing to the subscriber host access via the network to a service.