US Patent 7801149 Packet forwarding using intermediate policy information

Techniques are described in which intermediate policy information is used to translate policy information between forwarding domains. For example, a network device comprises a control unit that associates intermediate policy information, such as intermediate CoS information, with a packet. The network device utilizes the intermediate CoS information to indirectly map first class of service (CoS) information that conforms with a first protocol to second CoS information that conforms to a second protocol. The network device may, for example, apply a first policy to map the first CoS information to the intermediate CoS information and a second policy to map the intermediate CoS information to the second CoS information.