Patent ID: 8743700

Claim:
A method for provisioning resources of a packet network, said method comprising: monitoring at least one network performance information parameter associated with communications of data packets; comparing the at least one network performance information parameter with a threshold value indicative of degradation of communications of the data packets; determining that the at least one network performance information parameter crosses the threshold value; in response to the at least one network performance information parameter crossing the threshold value, performing a provisioning, using a microprocessor, of network resources to compensate for the degradation of communications of the data packets; wherein the provisioning of the network resources includes rerouting of communications of non-real-time data packets that do not include real-time content from a network segment to a second network segment to improve communications of real-time data packets that include real-time content over the network segment, and wherein the provisioning further includes sending a message to another communications carrier to notify the other communications carrier of degradation in the packet network; and initiating a trace route signal to determine a specific network resource that has deteriorated, wherein initiating the trace route signal includes initiating a trace route signal that extends over an entire call path and causes the trace route signal to be communicated over a second packet network.