Abstract: Managing link bandwidth in a communication network having multiple routing devices is described. A connection path is requested across the network to establish communication from a sending process to a receiving device. Each device on the connection path is connected to a next device on the connection path by a link having an associated bandwidth. A connection admission control process is performed for at least one routing device on the connection path. A sending process reservation is determined as a function of sending process characteristics and QoS, network state, and admission policy. The application-aware reservation factor influences an amount of link bandwidth that is reserved for the sending process.

Abstract: A hierarchical bandwidth management model for multiservice networks that provide management at a transport level and at a service/application level to provide increased network scalability without sacrificing bandwidth management efficiency and flexibility. In particular, in an Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) environment, a method of hierarchical bandwidth management in a multiservice network supporting various quality of service levels (e.g. EF, AF1, AF2, BE) and a number of applications (e.g. ATM, MPLS, IP, FR) is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: establishing a transport connection tunnel (e.g. an E-Label Switched Path(LSP)) between pairs of the edge nodes in the network; and managing bandwidth of the transport connection tunnel among the quality of service levels and the applications. In an exemplary embodiment the invention also provides a hierarchical admission structure: one at a transport level for the label switched paths and one at a service level for user/application connections.