Patent ID: 7254141

Claim:
A method of allocating bandwidth in a communication network including a plurality of switches, the method comprising: during a set-up phase: receiving a set-up message at a first switch, the set-up message requesting a connection having a requested bandwidth and a requested priority; the first switch generating a release message rejecting the requested connection if available priority bandwidth for the requested priority is less than the requested bandwidth; the first switch creating a provisional connection corresponding to the requested connection if the available priority bandwidth for the requested priority is greater than or equal to the requested bandwidth; and the first switch forwarding the set-up message to a second switch if the available priority bandwidth for the requested priority is greater than or equal to the requested bandwidth; during a connect phase: the first switch receiving a connect message from the second switch, the connect message requesting an actual connection having the requested bandwidth and the requested priority; the first switch committing the provisional connection to the actual connection if actual priority bandwidth for the requested priority is greater than or equal to the requested bandwidth; and the first switch preempting the provisional connection if the actual priority bandwidth for the requested priority is less than the requested bandwidth.