Patent ID: 6741572
Filing Date: 2004-05-25
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A communications network, comprising a plurality of interconnected nodes, each of the plurality of said nodes comprising:at least one Agile Bandwidth Usage Device (ABUD); a switch connected to the ABUD for configuring transmission channels connected to other nodes; and a configuration controller connected to the ABUD and to the switch for controlling configuration of the transmission channels, the configuration controller being operable: to receive from the ABUD buffer statistics characterizing the fill of buffers connected to output ports of the ABUD; to process the received buffer statistics to determine that a modified allocation of the transmission channels is favoured and to determine a favoured modified allocation of the transmission channels; to communicate with configuration controllers at other nodes to determine a paths between nodes for implementation of the favoured modified allocation of the transmission channels; and to communicate with the switch, configuration controllers at other nodes and the ABUD to implement the favoured modified allocation of the transmission channels according to the determined path.