Abstract: One aspect of the specification is the use of a virtual entity to represent the bandwidth bottleneck point in a network. Areas of the network where bandwidth does not need to be managed can be modeled as zones. This model enables more flexibility as the virtual bottleneck point can represent a collection of components (e.g. routers), or a portion of a real component (e.g. a router could be represented by multiple virtual bottleneck points with different purposes.) This model can also allow a user to decide which points in their network should be managed, independent of the underlying data network infrastructure. These virtual entities can be placed between areas of the network, and configured with specific policies. Bandwidth usage across these virtual entities can be tracked and compared to the configured bandwidth limit available to the application at each bottleneck point. When the bandwidth available at the bottleneck point is fully utilized, additional calls can be blocked or rerouted.

Abstract: One aspect of the specification is the use of a virtual entity to represent the bandwidth bottleneck point in a network. Areas of the network where bandwidth does not need to be managed can be modeled as zones. This model enables more flexibility as the virtual bottleneck point can represent a collection of components (e.g. routers), or a portion of a real component (e.g. a router could be represented by multiple virtual bottleneck points with different purposes.) This model can also allow a user to decide which points in their network should be managed, independent of the underlying data network infrastructure. These virtual entities can be placed between areas of the network, and configured with specific policies. Bandwidth usage across these virtual entities can be tracked and compared to the configured bandwidth limit available to the application at each bottleneck point. When the bandwidth available at the bottleneck point is fully utilized, additional calls can be blocked or rerouted.