Apparatus and methods are provided for multiplexing application flows over
a pre-allocated bandwidth reservation protocol session. According to one embodiment,
a pre-allocated reservation protocol session, such as an RSVP session, is shared
by one or more application sessions. The reservation protocol session is pre-allocated
over a path between a first network device associated with a first user community
and a second network device associated with a second user community based upon
an estimated usage of the path for application sessions between users of the first
and second user communities. Subsequently, the one or more application sessions
are dynamically aggregated by multiplexing application flows associated with the
one or more individual application sessions onto the pre-allocated reservation
protocol session at the first network device and demultiplexing at the second network
device. According to another embodiment, a network device enables multiple applications,
such as VoIP applications, that require real-time performance to share an aggregated
reservation protocol session, such as an RSVP session. The network device includes
a storage device having stored therein one or more routines for establishing and
managing the aggregated reservation protocol session. A processor coupled to the
storage device executes the one or more routines to pre-allocate the aggregated
reservation protocol session and thereafter share the aggregated reservation protocol
session among multiple application sessions of individual application sessions.
The aggregated reservation protocol session is pre-allocated based upon an estimate
of the bandwidth requirements to accommodate the multiple application sessions.
The aggregated reservation protocol session is shared by multiplexing, onto the
aggregated reservation protocol session, outbound media packets (e.g., packetized
voice data) originated by local application/endpoints associated with the application
sessions, and demultiplexing, from the aggregated reservation protocol session,
inbound media packets (e.g., packetized voice data) originated by remote application/endpoints.