Patent ID: 6668283
Filing Date: 2003-12-23
Classification: H04L,H04Q,Y02D

Abstract:
A method for limiting to a predetermined number the quantity of B-Channel connections used at a Point of Presence (PoP) of a data communications network by users belonging to a particular group, said method comprising:maintaining a local database associated with a particular PoP of the data communications network, the database including: group identifications, a maximum numbers of B-Channel connections to for each group at the PoP, a predetermined number assigned for each group, the predetermined number permitting B-Channel connections to exceed the maximum number for the group by that number, and a current B-Channel connection count for each group at the PoP; and responding to a user's attempt to initiate a B-Channel connection on the data communications network as a member of a particular group by checking the local database to determine if the user's B-Channel connection would make the current B-Channel connection count for the group exceed by the predetermined number the maximum number of B-Channel connections for the group at the PoP.