Patent ID: 7613126

Claim:
A computer implemented method for providing enhanced services in a data network, the data network including a first end node associated with a first network portion, a second end node associated with a second network portion, and first service provider network portion which provides a first communication link between the first network portion and second network portion, wherein the first service provider network portion includes a plurality of network elements, and wherein the first communication link has a first plurality operating parameters associated therewith, the first plurality of operating parameters including a first operating parameter relating to a first amount of committed bandwidth which has been allocated on the first communication link, said method comprising: detecting a first condition or event which relates to a desire to adjust the amount of committed bandwidth allocated on the first communication link; automatically adjusting the amount of committed bandwidth allocated on the first communication link in response to the detection of the first condition or event; and automatically initiating, in response to detecting the first condition or event, at least one action for implementing automatic re-provisioning of the amount of committed bandwidth allocated on the first communication link; wherein the first communication link corresponds to an ATM circuit; wherein the first amount of committed bandwidth includes a committed information rate (CIR) parameter value; and wherein said automatically adjusting includes automatically re-provisioning the value of the CIR parameter associated with the first communication link to thereby dynamically adjust the amount of committed bandwidth allocated on the first communication link.