Patent ID: 7643492
Filing Date: 2010-01-05
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of reserving bandwidth in a network using a hose model, the network including a plurality of nodes and a plurality of links for interconnecting the nodes, the method comprising: receiving from a customer a request for bandwidth for a hose having one ingress point and a plurality of egress points, the hose including a plurality of paths, each of the plurality of egress points being associated with different destination addresses; assigning a hose identifier to the hose; requesting reservation of bandwidth by transmitting a separate path message separately addressed to each of the plurality of egress points, each of the separate messages including the same hose identifier; each of the plurality of egress points sending in response a reservation request containing the hose identifier and a unique identifier that uniquely identifies the reservation message as originating from only one of the plurality of egress points; and at each intermediate node at which one of the reservation request messages is received, reserving the bandwidth, but not if a different reservation request message containing the same hose identifier has been received at the node, and forwarding the message even if no bandwidth is reserved.