Patent ID: 8281383

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving, by an access router, a first Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) packet that specifies a request for executing a preemptive service for IPv6 data packets specifying a prescribed flow label field value, the request specifying the prescribed flow label field value associated with the preemptive service, the first IPv6 packet further specifying an authentication parameter for authentication of the request; attempting the authentication of the request by the access router based on the authentication parameter relative to a prescribed secure authentication protocol, to determine whether the IPv6 packet is authorized to request the preemptive service; and implementing the preemptive service by the access router based on the authentication of the request, including creating an entry in the access router enabling the prescribed flow label field value to invoke the preemptive service, passing any IPv6 data packet received from a host node and having an IPv6 header specifying the prescribed flow label field value and further having a corresponding authentication parameter satisfying a prescribed security condition, and limiting transfer of any data packet that does not specify the prescribed flow label field value or satisfy the prescribed security condition.