Active medium for reserving resources in a communication network

A method for reserving resources in a packet communication network, preferably an IP protocol network, this network being a hybrid network comprising both active nodes and passive nodes, the active nodes alone being capable of taking into account so-called active packets, that is to say those containing information related to a corresponding execution environment of these active nodes, an active data flow being a set of active packets having to be taken into account by one and the same execution environment, the said method comprising the steps of:

• a) sending on the network of a reservation packet containing a request for reservation of resources constituting an execution environment for an associated active data flow;
• b) receiving of the said reservation packet by an active node of the network;
• and
• c) reservation of resources of the node according to the said request,
• the said method being characterised in that the said reservation packet is an active packet.