Abstract: A method for allocating and resizing a link on a communication medium is provided. The utilization of an allocated link is monitored and an unused bandwidth thereof is determined. Upon request for allocation of a second link, at least a portion of the unused bandwidth is included in the bandwidth of the second link allocated. A network including two nodes and a communication medium terminated thereby is operable to provide a plurality of communication links and is operable to resize the bandwidth of the allocated links is provided. The network is operable to monitor the utilization of an allocated bandwidth of an allocated link and deallocate a part of the allocated bandwidth that is non-utilized by the allocated link. The deallocated bandwidth, or a portion thereof, may then be included in a bandwidth allocation made for allocation of an additional link.

Abstract: A method to facilitate recovery of a node in a communications network is disclosed. The method comprises receiving one or more messages from at least another node in the communications network and restoring connectivity of a recovering node based at least in part on the received messages.

Abstract: A system and method for providing quality of service guarantees in a packet-switched network is provided. A network including nodes linked together by communication links includes a management node for governing the performance of the nodes. Ingress and egress rate restrictions are defined at the nodes and the management module may disallow a portion of a requested transmission to a node if the requested transmission would result in a violation of one of the ingress and egress rate restrictions. Disallowance of a requested transmission may be made by the management node if either an ingress rate restriction of the transmitting node or an egress of the receiving node would be violated by allowance of the requested transmission.

Abstract: A method of reserving bandwidth in a network includes the steps of receiving a reservation request for a bandwidth for a hose having one ingress point and at least one egress point, and reserving the requested bandwidth for each link in the hose and assigning a reservation identifier to the hose.

Abstract: A method of routing packets in a system includes the steps of receiving a plurality of packets, each packet including a routing label and a packet type, routing each packet to a destination within the system specified in the routing label in response to the packet type being indicative of a data packet, and routing each packet to a processor within the system and sending a reply packet to a sender specified in the routing label in response to the packet type being indicative of a control packet.