Patent ID: 7593405

Claim:
A method for forwarding packets from a first router in a first domain to a second router in a second domain, the first and second domains being connected via a series of further routers, the method comprising the steps of: receiving, at the first router, a packet addressed to a node reachable via the second router; detecting, at the first router, that an inter-domain QoS reservation is needed; sending, at the first router, a request message to setup the inter-domain QoS reservation toward the second router; receiving, at the first router, an acknowledgment message to confirm that the inter-domain QoS reservation is setup; reserving, at the first router, resources in accordance with the inter-domain QoS reservation; encapsulating toward the second router, at the first router, the packet in accordance with the inter-domain QoS reservation by adding a first label to the packet, the first label indicating that the packet is not for delivery in the first domain; and encapsulating toward the second router, at the first router, the first label and the packet by adding a second label thereto, the second label enabling proper routing of the thereby encapsulated packet within the first domain.