Dynamic service groups based on session attributes

Abstract

Service groups are dynamically created and members are dynamically assigned. A network element receives a request for a subscriber session and transmits an authentication request to a AAA server. The network element receives an authentication reply from the AAA server that includes dynamic service group configuration information that indicates that the subscriber session should be part of a service group and defines the criteria for the network element to dynamically create and join that subscriber session to a service group if an appropriate service group does not exist or dynamically join that subscriber session to an existing service group. The network element derives a dynamic service group identifier from attributes of the subscriber session based on instructions in the dynamic service group configuration information. Based on that dynamic service group identifier and service group attribute information in the configuration information, the network element dynamically creates and joins the subscriber session to a service group if an appropriate service group does not exist or dynamically joins the subscriber session to an existing appropriate service group.