Patent ID: 6980515

Claim:
In a multi-service network switch, a method for providing tiered access to system resources, the method comprising: maintaining in a data store of the network switch two or more access tiers including a first set of one or more access tiers and a second set of one or more access tiers, each of the access tiers associated with a connection request characteristic and an access threshold; receiving an incoming connection request; determining the characteristic of the incoming connection request; determining the access tier associated with the incoming connection request; identifying a resource requested by the incoming connection request; if the incoming connection request is associated with the first set of one or more access tiers, then automatically allocating the identified resource; if the incoming connection request is associated with the second set of one or more access tiers, then: determining an amount of current usage for the identified resource; allocating the identified resource to the incoming connection request if the amount of current usage is less than the associated access threshold; terminating an established connection if the amount of current usage is greater than the associated access threshold; deallocating the resource previously allocated to the terminated connection; and wherein if there are more than one allocated connection having the same assigned access tier to be terminated, the order of terminating is according to first-in-first-out.