Facilitating real-time transport of data streams

A network node or a distributed system of network nodes for facilitating real-time transport of data streams in a communication network, wherein the communication network comprises:

• one or more nodes each comprising a network interface and a processor subsystem implementing one or more core network functions for establishing service guarantees for data flows in the communication network, the one or more core network functions comprising at least one of a policy control function and a network management function;
• at least one selective forwarding unit (SFU) configured to, in real-time, receive a data stream from a sender via a first network link of the communication network and selectively forward the data stream to one or more receivers via respective second network links;
• wherein the network node or the distributed system comprises:
• a network interface configured to interface with the communication network;
• a processor subsystem configured to interface between the selective forwarding unit and the one or more core network functions by:
• receiving stream information from the selective forwarding unit, the stream information being indicative of a first bandwidth associated with transport of the data stream via a select one or more network links, the select one or more network links being one or more of a group of:
• the first network link and the respective second network links;
• based on the stream information, determining a second bandwidth based on the first bandwidth and requesting the one or more core network functions to establish a service guarantee for the transport of the data stream via the select one or more network links by requesting the second bandwidth to be allocated for the transport of the data stream via the select one or more network links;
• and
• based on the stream information, providing bitrate information to the selective forwarding unit, the bitrate information being indicative of a target bitrate to be used for the transport of the data stream via the select one or more network links.