Avoiding unnecessary rsvp-based preemptions

A network node comprising:

• one or more network interfaces;
• a held resources table that indicates resources associated with a held resources state;
• a reserved resources table that indicates resources reserved for data flows;
• and
• a processor configured to access the held resources table and the reserved resources table, the processor configured to, upon receipt of a path request message for a new data flow on one of the one or more network interfaces, compare resources needed to accommodate the new data flow to an amount of available resources, add the resources needed to accommodate the new data flow to the held resources table provided there are sufficient available resources at the network node to accommodate the new data flow, upon receipt of a reservation request message for the new data flow node determine that resources requested by the reservation request message are in the held resources table, remove the requested resources from the held resources table and add the requested resources to the reserve resources table.

A network node comprising

• means for receiving a path request message for a new data flow, the path request message indicating resources needed to accommodate the new data flow;
• means for comparing resources needed to accommodate the new data flow to an amount of available resources;
• means for associating the resources needed to accommodate the new data flow with a held resources state;
• means for receiving a reservation request message, the reservation request message requesting resources for the new data flow;
• and
• means for determining that the requested resources correspond to resources associated with the held resources state, removing the resources from the held resources state at the network and reserving the resources at the network node for the new data flow.