Distributed resource management in networks

A data communication system, comprising a network provided with a control server for managing network resources, and a delivery server for delivering multimedia content to one or more UE (user equipment) devices, wherein the control server is arranged to pass a Quality of Service (QoS) network session ID, of a network session between the delivery server and the UE device, to the delivery server, and the delivery server is arranged to keep track of the network session independently of the control server, such that once the network session ID of the network session has been passed to the delivery server, the control server is stateless with regard to the network session,

• in which the delivery server is adapted to pass the QoS network session ID of the network session back to the control server upon completion of the network session, and
• a Resource and Admissions Control Server (RACS) is provided, wherein the control server is adapted to instruct the RACS to terminate the network session upon receipt of the network session ID.