Architecture for allocating resources in a telecommunications network

A method for setting up call routes between an originating switching office and a destination switching office in a telecommunications network comprising a plurality of switching offices and a plurality of trunk groups interconnecting the switching offices, said method comprising the steps of,

• maintaining a database comprising a plurality of records, each record containing information as to the current loading status of one of said trunk groups,
• determining with the aid of said database if a trunk group directly connecting said originating and destination switching offices is available,
• if said direct route is unavailable, calculating the probabilities that said direct route and at least some two-hop routes between said originating and destination switching offices will become available within a predetermined time interval,
• based on said probability calculating step, determining a target route between said originating office and said destination office,
• determining, based on the records maintained in said database, if said target route is available, and
• if said target route is available, communicating said target route to said originating switching office so that said originating switching office can set up said target route in said telecommunications network.

A method for setting up call routes between an originating switching node and a destination switching node in a network comprising a plurality of switching nodes interconnected by communications paths in trunk groups, said method comprising the steps of

• maintaining a database comprising a plurality of records, each record containing information as to the current free capacity of one of said trunk groups,
• determining with the aid of said database if a communications path directly connecting said originating and destination switching nodes is available, if said direct route is unavailable, calculating the probability that said direct route and at least some two-hop routes between said originating and destination switching nodes will become available within a predetermined time interval to determine a target route between said originating and destination switching nodes, and determining, based on said data base, if said target route is available,
• if said target route is available, communicating said target route to said originating switching node, and
• if said target route is unavailable blocking said call.

A method for setting up a connection route between an originating switching node and a destination switching node in a network comprising a plurality of switching nodes interconnected by communication paths arranged in groups, said method comprising the steps of:

• maintaining a database containing a complete representation of the availability of communication paths in each of said groups,
• utilizing said database to determine if a direct route between said originating switching node and said destination switching node is available,
• if said direct route is not available, calculating the probabilities that said direct route and at least some two-hop routes will become available for said connection within a predetermined amount of time to determine a target route for said connection, and
• utilizing said database to determine if said target route is available.