Patent ID: 7898947
Filing Date: 2011-03-01
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of processing capacity information relating to data capacity in a data network in which a consumer circuit is carried on, and consumes bandwidth made available by, a bearer circuit, the method comprising: storing, in a network information database, a bearer circuit entity representing a bearer circuit, and associating bearer capacity information with the bearer circuit entity specifying a first bandwidth quantity, the first bandwidth quantity defining a quantity of bandwidth made available by the bearer circuit; storing in the network information database a consumer circuit entity representing a consumer circuit, and associating consumer capacity information with the consumer circuit entity specifying a second bandwidth quantity, the second bandwidth quantity defining a quantity of bandwidth allocated to the consumer circuit; associating the consumer capacity information with the bearer capacity information in the network information database to indicate that the second bandwidth quantity allocated to the consumer circuit is to be consumed from the first bandwidth quantity made available by the bearer circuit, utilizing a computer; and storing a partition entity for a given bandwidth partition, the given bandwidth partition representing an allocation of bandwidth to a circuit, wherein the partition entity is associated with first information defining a first quantity of bandwidth allocated to the given partition from an underlying bearer, and second information defining a second quantity of bandwidth made available by the given partition for allocation to other partitions; wherein the second information defining the second quantity of bandwidth made available by the given partition comprises a booking factor for indicating that the second quantity is a fraction of, equal to, or a multiple of the first quantity.