Patent ID: 8369322

Claim:
A method for determining whether to admit a call over an internet protocol (IP)-based network, the method comprising: providing a network device operably interconnected with a plurality of network devices in a link-state network, the network device and the plurality of network devices having the capability to inspect an arriving IP packet to determine that the IP packet conveys a message to initiate a call and to perform a call rejection by: inspecting, by the network device, an arriving IP packet to determine that the IP packet conveys a message to initiate a call, said IP packet having been received by one of the plurality of network devices that also has the capability to inspect an arriving IP packet to determine whether the IP packet conveys a message to initiate a call; determining, by the network device, a shortest path through the link-state network to be taken by traffic associated with the call if the call is admitted; determining, by the network device, whether each link in the shortest path through the link-state network is available for supporting the traffic associated with the call; and issuing, by the network device, a message that rejects admission of the call if at least one link in the shortest path through the link-state network is unavailable for supporting the traffic associated with the call; otherwise, if it is determined by the network device that each link in the shortest path through the link-state network is available for supporting the traffic associated with the call, then forwarding, by the network device, the IP packet conveying the message to initiate a call via a next-hop through the link-state network toward one of the plurality of network devices also having the capability to perform said call rejection.