Tandem call admission control by proxy for use with non-hop-by-hop VoIP signaling protocols

1. A method for determining whether to admit a call over an internet protocol (IP)-based network, the method comprising:

providing a network device operably interconnected with a plurality of network devices in a link-state network, the network device and the plurality of network devices having the capability to inspect an arriving IP packet to determine that the IP packet conveys a message to initiate a call and to perform a call rejection by:

inspecting, by the network device, an arriving IP packet to determine that the IP packet conveys a message to initiate a call, said IP packet having been received by one of the plurality of network devices that also has the capability to inspect an arriving IP packet to determine whether the IP packet conveys a message to initiate a call;

determining, by the network device, a shortest path through the link-state network to be taken by traffic associated with the call if the call is admitted;

determining, by the network device, whether each link in the shortest path through the link-state network is available for supporting the traffic associated with the call; and

issuing, by the network device, a message that rejects admission of the call if at least one link in the shortest path through the link-state network is unavailable for supporting the traffic associated with the call;

otherwise, if it is determined by the network device that each link in the shortest path through the link-state network is available for supporting the traffic associated with the call, then forwarding, by the network device, the IP packet conveying the message to initiate a call via a next-hop through the link-state network toward one of the plurality of network devices also having the capability to perform said call rejection.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message to initiate the call is a session initiation protocol (SIP) message.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network device is external to the link-state network, and further comprising the step of transmitting, by the external network device, a request to a network device in the link-state network, to obtain from that network device a link-status of each link in the link-state network indicating whether that link is available to support traffic associated with the call.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network device is external to the link-state network, and further comprising the step of transmitting, by the external network device, a request to each network device in the link-state network, to obtain from each network device a link-status of each of at least one outgoing link of that network device indicating whether that outgoing link is available to support traffic associated with the call.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network device is internal to the link-state network, and further comprising determining, by the internal network device, a link-status for each outgoing link of that internal network device; and disseminating the link-status determined for each of at least one outgoing link to each neighboring network device in the link-state network.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network device is internal to the link-state network, and further comprising receiving, by the internal network device, link-status information from each neighboring device in the link-state network and constructing a database containing the link-status of each link in the link-state network based on the received link-status information.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the traffic associated with the call is voice traffic, video traffic, or a combination thereof.

8. A network, comprising:

a plurality of network device coupled to a link-state network interconnected by links; and

a call interceptor executing software on each of the plurality of network devices to (1) inspect an arriving IP packet to determine that the IP packet conveys a message to initiate a call, said IP packet having been received by one of the plurality of network devices that also has the capability to inspect an arriving IP packet to determine that the IP packet conveys a message to initiate a call;

(2) determine a shortest path through the link-state network to be taken by traffic associated with the call if the call is admitted, (3) determine whether each link in the shortest path through the link-state network is available for supporting the traffic associated with the call, and (4) issue a message that rejects admission of the call if at least one link in the shortest path through the link-state network is unavailable for supporting the traffic associated with the call.

9. The network of claim 8 , wherein the message to initiate the call is a session initiation protocol (SIP) message.

10. The network of claim 8 , wherein the call interceptor is external to the link-state network and executes software to send a request to one of the network devices in the link-state network, to obtain from that network device a link-status of each link in the link-state network indicating whether that link is available to support traffic associated with the call.

11. The network of claim 8 , wherein the call interceptor is external to the link-state network and executes software to send a request to each network device in the link-state network, to obtain from each network device a link-status of each of at least one outgoing link of that network device indicating whether that outgoing link is available to support traffic associated with the call.

12. The network of claim 8 , wherein the call interceptor is one of the network devices of the link-state network and executes software to determine a link-status for each of at least one outgoing link of that network device and to disseminate the link-status determined for each outgoing link to each neighboring network device in the link-state network.

13. The network of claim 8 , wherein the call interceptor is one of the network devices of the link-state network and executes software to receive link-status information from each neighboring device in the link-state network and to construct a database containing the link-status of each link in the link-state network based on the received link-status information.

14. The network of claim 8 , wherein the traffic associated with the call is voice traffic, video traffic, or a combination thereof.

15. A network device to be operably coupled to a link-state network, the network device comprising:

a processing unit capable of inspecting an arriving IP packet to determine whether the IP packet conveys a message to initiate a call; and

software executable by the processing unit to (1) inspect an arriving IP packet to determine that the IP packet conveys a message to initiate a call, the IP packet having been received by a processing unit on another network device that also has the capability to inspect an arriving IP packet to determine whether the IP packet conveys a message to initiate a call;

(2) determine a shortest path through the link-state network to be taken by traffic associated with the call if the call is admitted, (3) determine whether each link in the shortest path through the link-state network is available for supporting the traffic associated with the call, and (4) issue a message that rejects admission of the call if at least one link in the shortest path through the link-state network is unavailable for supporting the traffic associated with the call.

16. The network device of claim 15 , wherein the message to initiate the call is a session initiation protocol (SIP) message.