Network resource reservation with admission and link control functions

Abstract

In a reconfigurable network shared by multiple users, a reservation request is sent from a user who desires to establish a network resource in the network. The request contains indications of a circuit assigned to the user, a network resource desired to be allocated from the resource of the assigned circuit, dates and start and end times of a reservation time span. A reservation system includes an interface connected to the user networks for receiving the request, a first database, a second database for storing resources respectively assigned to the user networks. An admission controller connected to the interface is responsive to a user's request for accessing the first and second databases to verify the availability of the desired resource, and informs the user as to the results of the verification. If the desired resource is available, the data of the request is stored into the first database. As a separate unit, a link control module is provided which is connected to one of the interconnection switches. At the start time of the request, the link control module operates the associated switch to establish the desired network resource, and at the end time of the request, operates the associated switch to clear the established network resource. The admission controller removes the data of the request from the first database at the end time of the request.