Messages and control methods for controlling resource allocation and flow admission control in a mobile communications system

A method of communicating packet flow aggregation information from a first node to a second node, in a system which uses a first packet flow aggregate to communicate a first set of constituent packet flows in a first direction between said first and second nodes, said method including:

• transmitting an aggregation management message from the first node, said aggregation management message including:
• i) a first aggregate identifier which uniquely identifies a first packet flow aggregate to which at least some of the information included in the aggregation message applies;
• ii) a first aggregate classifier including classification information which can be used to classify packet flows as corresponding to the packet flow aggregate identified by said first aggregate identifier;
• and
• iii) information identifying at least two constituent packet flows which are included in said first packet flow aggregate;
• and
• wherein said step of transmitting said aggregation message includes transmitting in said message, information indicating the direction of said first packet flow aggregate.

A communications method for use in a communications system including a first node, a second node, a third node and a fourth node, said third node having an IP address used to identify packets transmitted to or transmitted from said third node, a packet flow existing between said third node and said fourth node, each packet included in said packet flow including the third address, said packet flow passing through said first and second nodes, the method comprising:

• generating at said first node an aggregate management message that establishes a mapping between said packet flow and a packet flow aggregate extending between said first and second nodes to be used to convey said packet flow, said aggregate management message including:
• i) an aggregate classifier including information used to classify packets as corresponding to said packet flow aggregate;
• ii) at least one packet flow classifier including information used to classify packets as corresponding to said at least one packet flow;
• and
• a source address corresponding to said first node, wherein any IP packet address included in the aggregate management message within said message but outside said packet flow classifier being different from the IP address of said third node;
• and
• transmitting said generated aggregate management message to said second node.