Abstract: A “policy distribution point” (PDP) allows service drivers to be installed remotely and automatically without rebooting the PDP or otherwise interrupting existing network-based services. The exposure of sensitive configuration data to non-secure networks is minimized by placing PDPs close to the devices to be configured. Service drivers on the PDP can be reused to configure multiple devices of the same type. The PDP receives an “activation” and uses a service driver on the PDP to translate the activation into “device-specific instructions.” The device-specific instructions are sent to a device and configure the device to set up the network-based service. One or more PDPs can be used to configure both computing device and networking devices to provide a single service.

Abstract: A system allows subscribers quickly to self-activate network-based services by automatically configuring network elements. A service provider preconfigures a state machine on a core server. At the time of self-activation, activations are sent to policy distribution points (PDPs) that translate the activations into device-specific instructions, which in turn configure network elements to provide services. The speed of self-activation is increased by generating activations faster in the core server, by translating activations into device-specific instructions faster in the PDPs, and by separating the configuration of the network elements from complex registration steps. Initiation steps that configure network elements are performed faster by an initiation module that reads from, but does not write to, databases. Subscribers perform dynamic service selection using the initiation module.

Abstract: A “policy distribution point” (PDP) allows service drivers to be installed remotely and automatically without rebooting the PDP or otherwise interrupting existing network-based services. The exposure of sensitive configuration data to non-secure networks is minimized by placing PDPs close to the devices to be configured. Service drivers on the PDP can be reused to configure multiple devices of the same type. The PDP receives an “activation” and uses a service driver on the PDP to translate the activation into “device-specific instructions.” The device-specific instructions are sent to a device and configure the device to set up the network-based service. One or more PDPs can be used to configure both computing device and networking devices to provide a single service.

Abstract: A system allows subscribers quickly to self-activate network-based services by automatically configuring network elements. A service provider preconfigures a state machine on a core server. At the time of self-activation, activations are sent to policy distribution points (PDPs) that translate the activations into device-specific instructions, which in turn configure network elements to provide services. The speed of self-activation is increased by generating activations faster in the core server, by translating activations into device-specific instructions faster in the PDPs, and by separating the configuration of the network elements from complex registration steps. Initiation steps that configure network elements are performed faster by an initiation module that reads from, but does not write to, databases. Subscribers perform dynamic service selection using the initiation module.

Abstract: A network-based service creation platform automates and simplifies many tasks associated with defining new network service offerings to network users, publishing the new service offerings to the users, handling the subscription and registration of subscribers to the new service, billing for the service, and otherwise managing the service. In one embodiment, once a user is authenticated a first time, the user is then automatically authenticated for multiple network-based services without having to perform separate manual logins for each service. Moreover, the user is authenticated for a plurality of networking devices and/or computing devices used to provide the services.

Abstract: A “policy distribution point” (PDP) allows service drivers to be installed remotely and automatically without rebooting the PDP or otherwise interrupting existing network-based services. The exposure of sensitive configuration data to non-secure networks is minimized by placing PDPs close to the devices to be configured. Service drivers on the PDP can be reused to configure multiple devices of the same type. The PDP receives an “activation” and uses a service driver on the PDP to translate the activation into “device-specific instructions.” The device-specific instructions are sent to a device and configure the device to set up the network-based service. One or more PDPs can be used to configure both computing device and networking devices to provide a single service.