Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for dynamic firewall discovery on a service plane. The method includes the steps of identifying a source data packet for transmission from a source machine at a source site to a destination machine at a destination site, wherein the source data packet corresponds to a request for connection between the source machine and the destination machine over a WAN, inspecting the source data packet at a first firewall associated with the source site, marking the source data packet with a marker to indicate inspection by the first firewall, transmitting the marked source data packet to the destination site, determining at the destination site that the source data packet has been inspected based on the marker, and forwarding the source data packet to the destination machine at the destination site, without inspection of the source data packet by a second firewall associated with the destination site.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for dynamic firewall discovery on a service plane. The method includes the steps of identifying a source data packet for transmission from a source machine at a source site to a destination machine at a destination site, wherein the source data packet corresponds to a request for connection between the source machine and the destination machine over a WAN, inspecting the source data packet at a first firewall associated with the source site, marking the source data packet with a marker to indicate inspection by the first firewall, transmitting the marked source data packet to the destination site, determining at the destination site that the source data packet has been inspected based on the marker, and forwarding the source data packet to the destination machine at the destination site, without inspection of the source data packet by a second firewall associated with the destination site.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for dynamic firewall discovery on a service plane. The method includes the steps of identifying a source data packet for transmission from a source machine at a source site to a destination machine at a destination site, wherein the source data packet corresponds to a request for connection between the source machine and the destination machine over a WAN, inspecting the source data packet at a first firewall associated with the source site, marking the source data packet with a marker to indicate inspection by the first firewall, transmitting the marked source data packet to the destination site, determining at the destination site that the source data packet has been inspected based on the marker, and forwarding the source data packet to the destination machine at the destination site, without inspection of the source data packet by a second firewall associated with the destination site.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example and includes communicating an access request to a network element, the access request is associated with network authentication relating to a subscriber. The method also includes receiving an access response that includes a profile associated with the subscriber. The profile can include a group attribute that defines the subscriber as being part of a group of subscribers sharing a network data plan, which defines a data allotment assigned to the group over a specified time interval. In more detailed embodiments, a unique data string sent by an Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting element is received, where the unique data string identifies a full set of subscribers belonging to the group. Data underutilization of a first subscriber is offset by data overutilization of a second subscriber, where a summation of the data underutilization and the data overutilization do not exceed the data allotment assigned.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example and includes communicating an access request to a network element, the access request is associated with network authentication relating to a subscriber. The method also includes receiving an access response that includes a profile associated with the subscriber. The profile can include a group attribute that defines the subscriber as being part of a group of subscribers sharing a network data plan, which defines a data allotment assigned to the group over a specified time interval. In more detailed embodiments, a unique data string sent by an Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting element is received, where the unique data string identifies a full set of subscribers belonging to the group. Data underutilization of a first subscriber is offset by data overutilization of a second subscriber, where a summation of the data underutilization and the data overutilization do not exceed the data allotment assigned.