Quality of service (QOS) mechanism in an internet protocol (IP) network

A method for having Quality of Service (QoS) mechanism on a network path in an Internet Protocol (IP) network, the network path having at least one network node thereon, the method comprising steps of:

• at the network node, receiving a packet flow on the network path;
• identifying at least one QoS requirement associated with the packet flow;
• identifying a destination for the packet flow;
• after identification of the destination, verifying in a routing table of the network node that at least one best path toward the destination meets the at least one QoS requirement;
• if the at least one best path toward the destination meets the at least one QoS requirement, sending an Information—request message on at least one output port of the network node toward at least one target node;
• at the network node, receiving at least one Information—reply message from the at least one target node in response to the Information—request message;
• after reception of the Information—reply from the at least one target node, identifying the best path to be used;
• and
• forwarding the packet flow from the network node on the identified best path.

A method for implementing a Quality of Service (QoS) mechanism for transiting packet flows between a first network node and a second network node in an Internet Protocol (IP) network, each of the packet flows having at least one QoS requirement associated therewith, the IP network comprising at least another network node and network paths connecting two of the network nodes, each of the packet flows transiting from the first network node on one of the network paths up to the at least another network node and on one other of the network paths up to the second network node, the method comprising steps of:

• identifying a problem with transiting one of the packet flows;
• at the first network node, sending a Status—request message on the one of the network paths connected thereto toward the second network node;
• at the at least another network node, filing the received Status—request message with availability information extracted from a port table;
• at the second network node, processing the availability information from the Status—request message into a Class—assignment message;
• and
• at the second network node, forwarding the Class—assignment message on the one other of the network paths connected thereto toward the first network node.