Method and system for selecting connections to bump based on priority in a network

A computer system, comprising:

• a processor;
• a bus coupled to said processor;
• and
• a computer readable medium coupled to said bus and having instructions stored thereon, wherein when the instructions are executed by said processor, they are operable to implement a method of selecting connections to bump based on priority in a network, comprising:
• receiving an incoming connection associated with a priority level from a plurality of priority levels and a bandwidth group from a plurality of bandwidth groups, wherein said plurality of priority levels and said plurality of bandwidth groups index a plurality of existing connections;
• calculating a required bandwidth necessary to support said incoming connection;
• selecting a single existing connection to be released that is associated with a lower priority and a higher bandwidth group than said incoming connection to accommodate said incoming connection;
• and
• selecting at least one existing connection to be released from said plurality of existing connections having a lower priority level and at least the same bandwidth group than that of said incoming connection if said single existing connection is not selected to accommodate said incoming connection.

A computer readable medium containing executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed in a processing system, causes the system to perform a method of selecting connections to bump based on priority in a network, comprising:

• receiving an incoming connection associated with a priority level from a plurality of priority levels and a bandwidth associated with a bandwidth group from a plurality of bandwidth groups, wherein said plurality of priority levels and said plurality of bandwidth groups index a plurality of existing connections;
• calculating a required bandwidth necessary to support said incoming connection;
• selecting a single existing connection to be released that is associated with a lower priority and a higher bandwidth group than said incoming connection to accommodate said incoming connection;
• and
• selecting at least one existing connection to be released from said plurality of existing connections having a lower priority level and the same or lower bandwidth group than that of said incoming connection if there is no single existing connection that is associated with a lower priority and a higher bandwidth group than said incoming connection.

A system comprised of one or more switches, wherein said one or more switches are capable of:

• receiving an incoming connection associated with a priority level from a plurality of priority levels and a bandwidth group from a plurality of bandwidth groups, wherein said plurality of priority levels and said plurality of bandwidth groups index a plurality of existing connections;
• calculating a required bandwidth necessary to support said incoming connection;
• selecting a single existing connection to be released that is associated with a lower priority and a higher bandwidth group than said incoming connection to accommodate said incoming connection;
• and
• determining at least one existing connection to be released from said plurality of existing connections having a lower priority level and the same or lower bandwidth group than that of said incoming connection if there is no single existing connection that is associated with a lower priority and a higher bandwidth group than said incoming connection.