Priority-based admission control in a network with variable channel data rates

1. A method for priority-based admission control in a network, the method comprising:

receiving an admission request for transmitting an information flow to a network through a communication channel having a channel data rate range;

obtaining a priority of the information flow, wherein the priority of the information flow is one of a plurality of priorities of information flow;

dividing up the channel data rate range into a plurality of non-overlapping regions;

determining an admissible region within a range of a channel data rate of the communication channel in response to the priority of the information flow, wherein the admissible region is one of a plurality of admissible regions within the channel data rate range that correspond to different ones of the plurality of priorities of information flow, respectively, and each of the plurality of admissible regions is useable for transmitting information flow with a respective one of the plurality of priorities;

determining an available channel data rate of the communication channel for receiving the information flow by the network; and

granting the admission request for the information flow after determining that the available channel data rate of the communication channel is within the admissible region of the channel data rate range,

wherein determining an admissible region within the channel data rate range comprises selecting a group of the non-overlapping regions as the admissible region.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising obtaining an overall load on the network, wherein determining an admissible region within the channel data rate range includes determining the admissible region in response to the overall network load.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the admissible region within the channel data rate range in response to the overall network load comprises:

determining a conditional admissible region within the channel data rate range in response to the priority of the information flow, wherein the conditional admissible region is one of a plurality of conditional admissible regions within the channel data rate range that correspond to different ones of the plurality of priorities of information flow, respectively, by assuming that the overall network load is in a reference load range among a plurality of increasingly higher ranges of the overall network load, each of the plurality of conditional admissible regions being useable for transmitting information flow with a respective one of the plurality of priorities; and

determining the admissible region within the channel data rate range by successively increasing or decreasing a size of the conditional admissible region with each successive increase or decrease of a range of the overall network load among the plurality of increasingly higher ranges of the overall network load relative to the reference load range.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of non-overlapping regions corresponding to the lowest channel data rate within the channel data rate range and assignable for transmitting information flow is dedicated for transmitting information flow with the highest priority class among the plurality of priorities of information flow.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising rejecting the admission request after determining that a transmission time for transmitting the information flow at the channel data rate of the communication channel is greater than a maximum time slot allowed for a station having the communication channel.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising obtaining a cumulative distribution function of a channel data rate of the communication channel, wherein determining an admissible region within the channel data rate range comprises using the cumulative distribution function in assigning the plurality of admissible regions within the channel data rate range to different ones of the plurality of priorities of information flow, respectively.

7. A system for priority-based admission control in a network, the system comprising:

an admission controller configured to receive an admission request for transmitting an information flow to a network through a communication channel having a channel data rate range, divide up the channel data rate range into a plurality of non-overlapping regions, determine an admissible region within a range of a channel data rate of the communication channel based on a priority of the information flow among a plurality of priorities of information flow, and grant the admission request for the information flow based on a determination that an available channel data rate of the communication channel for receiving the information flow by the network is within the admissible region of the channel data rate range, wherein the admissible region is one of a plurality of admissible regions within the channel data rate range that correspond to different ones of the plurality of priorities of information flow, respectively, and each of the plurality of admissible regions within the channel data rate range is useable for transmitting information flow with a respective one of the plurality of priorities; and

a policy database configured to communicate to the admission controller information as to a priority of a user associated with the information flow, wherein the admission controller is configured to use the information to determine the priority of the information flow,

wherein the admission controller determines an admissible region within the channel data rate range comprises selecting a group of the non-overlapping regions as the admissible region.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the admission controller is further configured to determine the admissible region within the channel data rate range based on an overall load on the network.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the assignment of the plurality of admissible regions within the channel data rate range to different ones of the plurality of priorities of information flow, respectively, is based on a cumulative distribution function of a channel data rate of the communication channel.

10. A tangible non-transitory computer readable medium containing a program product for priority-based admission control, the computer program product comprising instructions to:

receive an admission request for transmitting an information flow to a network through a communication channel having a channel data rate range;

obtain a priority of the information flow, wherein the priority of the information flow is one of a plurality of priorities of information flow;

divide up the channel data rate range into a plurality of non-overlapping regions;

determine an admissible region within a range of a channel data rate of the communication channel in response to the priority of the information flow, wherein the admissible region is one of a plurality of admissible regions within the channel data rate range that correspond to different ones of the plurality of priorities of information flow, respectively, and each of the plurality of admissible regions within the channel data rate range is useable for transmitting information flow with a respective one of the plurality of priorities;

determine an available channel data rate of the communication channel for receiving the information flow by the network; and

grant the admission request for the information flow after determining that the available channel data rate of the communication channel is within the admissible region of the channel data rate range,

wherein the instruction to determine an admissible region within the channel data rate range comprises selecting a group of the non-overlapping regions as the admissible region.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10 , further comprising instruction to:

obtain an overall load on the network, wherein determining an admissible region within the channel data rate range includes determining the admissible region in response to the overall network load.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein determining the admissible region within the channel data rate range in response to the overall network load comprises:

determining a conditional admissible region within the channel data rate range in response to the priority of the information flow, wherein the conditional admissible region is one of a plurality of conditional admissible regions within the channel data rate range that correspond to different ones of the plurality of priorities of information flow, respectively, by assuming that the overall network load is in a reference load range among a plurality of increasingly higher ranges of the overall network load, each of the plurality of conditional admissible regions being useable for transmitting information flow with a respective one of the plurality of priorities; and

determining the admissible region for the information flow by successively increasing or decreasing a size of the conditional admissible region with each successive increase or decrease of a range of the overall network load among the plurality of increasingly higher ranges of the overall network load relative to the reference load range.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein one of the plurality of non-overlapping regions corresponding to the lowest channel data rate within the channel data rate range and assignable for transmitting information flow is dedicated for transmitting information flow with the highest priority class among the plurality of priorities of information flow.