Supporting a Community of Subscribers in an Environment Using a Service Selection Gateway (SSG)

Abstract

A service policy manager may be used to enable a first subscriber in a community to administer rules on another subscriber in the same community. A service selection gateway (SSG) may then be configured according to the rules to provides services according to the rules. As a result, the services provided to a subscriber depend not just on the individual profile of the subscriber, but also potentially on the rules administered by other members of the communities the subscriber is a part of.

1 - 39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a gateway that includes a processor and a memory element, wherein the gateway is configured to exchange data in a network environment, and wherein the gateway is further configured to:
 access a policy associated with a community of subscribers that includes a first subscriber, a second subscriber, and a third subscriber, wherein the policy includes a first determination by the first subscriber for allocating bandwidth to the second subscriber and to the third subscriber, and wherein the policy includes a second determination by the first subscriber for controlling services provided to the second subscriber and to the third subscriber; and 
 forward packets to the second subscriber and to the third subscriber according to the policy. 
   
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein access to the policy is performed by accessing a database that stores a plurality of policies associated with a plurality of communities in the network. 
     
     
         42 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein a web page is provided for entering the first and second determinations by the first subscriber. 
     
     
         43 . The apparatus of  claim 42 , wherein the web page is configured to receive authentication information from the first subscriber before the policy can be changed. 
     
     
         44 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the policy is evaluated in order to deny access to one or more websites based on a third determination made by the first subscriber. 
     
     
         45 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the gateway is further configured to:
 increase bandwidth automatically for the third subscriber if bandwidth is increased for the second subscriber, wherein the bandwidth is increased for the second subscriber based on a change in the policy by the first subscriber.   
     
     
         46 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the first subscriber defines whether a selected one of a plurality of relationships in the community is transitive, and wherein if the selected relationship is transitive then the first subscriber and the third subscriber are both authorized to administer a policy decision for the second subscriber. 
     
     
         47 . The apparatus of  claim 46 , wherein the policy decision involves access to a network service for the second subscriber and a firewall parameter associated with the second subscriber. 
     
     
         48 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the first subscriber defines whether a selected one of a plurality of relationships in the community is symmetrical, and wherein if the selected relationship is symmetrical then a policy decision made for the second subscriber by the first subscriber is automatically applied to the third subscriber without requiring additional input from the first subscriber. 
     
     
         49 . The apparatus of  claim 48 , wherein the policy decision involves access to a network service for the second subscriber and a firewall parameter associated with the second subscriber. 
     
     
         50 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the policy includes a list of service networks the second subscriber is permitted to access, and the policy includes a firewall filter to be applied to traffic associated with the second subscriber. 
     
     
         51 . A method, comprising:
 accessing a policy associated with a community of subscribers that includes a first subscriber, a second subscriber, and a third subscriber, wherein the policy includes a first determination by the first subscriber for allocating bandwidth to the second subscriber and to the third subscriber, and wherein the policy includes a second determination by the first subscriber for controlling services provided to the second subscriber and to the third subscriber; and   forwarding packets to the second subscriber and to the third subscriber according to the policy.   
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein access to the policy is performed by accessing a database that stores a plurality of policies associated with a plurality of communities in the network. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein a web page is provided for entering the first and second determinations by the first subscriber, and wherein the web page is configured to receive authentication information from the first subscriber before the policy can be changed. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the policy is evaluated in order to deny access to one or more websites based on a third determination made by the first subscriber. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 51 , further comprising:
 increasing bandwidth automatically for the third subscriber if bandwidth is increased for the second subscriber, wherein the bandwidth is increased for the second subscriber based on a change in the policy by the first subscriber.   
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the first subscriber defines whether a selected one of a plurality of relationships in the community is transitive, and wherein if the selected relationship is transitive then the first subscriber and the third subscriber are both authorized to administer a policy decision for the second subscriber. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the first subscriber defines whether a selected one of a plurality of relationships in the community is symmetrical, and wherein if the selected relationship is symmetrical then a policy decision made for the second subscriber by the first subscriber is automatically applied to the third subscriber without requiring additional input from the first subscriber. 
     
     
         58 . Logic encoded in one or more tangible media that includes code for execution and when executed by a processor operable to perform operations comprising:
 accessing a policy associated with a community of subscribers that includes a first subscriber, a second subscriber, and a third subscriber, wherein the policy includes a first determination by the first subscriber for allocating bandwidth to the second subscriber and to the third subscriber, and wherein the policy includes a second determination by the first subscriber for controlling services provided to the second subscriber and to the third subscriber; and   forwarding packets to the second subscriber and to the third subscriber according to the policy.   
     
     
         59 . The logic of  claim 58 , wherein access to the policy is performed by accessing a database that stores a plurality of policies associated with a plurality of communities in the network. 
     
     
         60 . The logic of  claim 58 , wherein a web page is provided for entering the first and second determinations by the first subscriber, and wherein the web page is configured to receive authentication information from the first subscriber before the policy can be changed.