Patent ID: 6163807
Filing Date: 2000-12-19
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method of reserving resources in a packet network comprising a plurality of hosts and one or more interconnecting nodes, said method comprising the steps of:operating a plurality of receiver hosts to send reverse-routed packets, containing one or more reservation influencing parameters, along a route via one or more of said interconnecting nodes to one or more sender hosts;operating said one or more intermediate nodes to:combine one or more parameters of received reverse-routed packets from different receivers to generate combined reservation influencing parameters;store said combined parameters; andsend a reverse-routed packet containing said combined parameters further along said route towards said sender hosts;operating said sender hosts to send a resource reservation packet to one or more receivers back along said route; andoperating said one or more intermediate nodes, responsive to said reservation packet, to reserve resources in accordance with reservation influencing parameters stored at that node.