Network Resource Management

Network resource management is used in broadband network to keep track of the way link resources are allocated to connections. The two primary resources that are tracked by network resource management are capacity (bandwidth) and connection identifiers (see Asynchronous Transfer Mode). Network resource management keeps track of the capacity and controls the allocation of capacity to connections when requested as part of the connection setup process (see traffic contract)[1].

One tool of network resource management which can be employed for traffic control is the virtual path technique (see Asynchronous Transfer Mode). By grouping several virtual channels together into a virtual path, connection admission control, UPC and NPC can be simplified as only the aggregated traffic of an entire virtual path has to be handled. Priority control can be supported by re-aggregating traffic types requiring different qualities of service through virtual paths. Messages for the operation of traffic control (for example, congestion indication) can more easily be distributed: a single message referring to all virtual channels within a virtual path will suffice [2]. Virtual paths can also play an important role in supporting statistical multiplexing be separating traffic thus preventing statistically multiplexed traffic (see broadband network) from being interfered with guaranteed bit rate traffic