Patent ID: 8774003
Filing Date: 2014-07-08
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A communication system, comprising: a packet network having a plurality of nodes; and a control element configured to store topology data, service performance data, and node data, wherein the topology data is indicative of a topology of the packet network, wherein the node data is indicative of a configuration of the nodes of the packet network and includes a plurality of queue values, wherein each of the queue values indicates a queue capacity for a respective one of the nodes, wherein the control element is configured to communicate with each of the nodes to automatically discover the node data, and wherein the service performance data is indicative of performance parameter limits for data flows of a plurality of data services supported by the packet network, the control element configured to determine, based on the topology data, the node data, and the service performance data, whether the configuration of the nodes is sufficient for enabling each of the data flows to simultaneously operate at the performance parameter limits indicated by the service performance data, wherein the control element is configured to provide an indication based on whether the configuration of the nodes is determined to be sufficient for enabling each of the data flows to simultaneously operate at the performance parameter limits indicated by the service performance data, wherein the control element is configured to determine based on the node data and the topology data which of the data flows have data paths that pass through a component of one of the nodes, and wherein the control element is configured to determine, based on at least one of the queue values, whether the component has sufficient capacity for handling each of the data flows having a data path passing through the component assuming that each of the data flows having a data path passing through the component is operating according to at least one performance parameter limit indicated by the service performance data for the respective data flow.