System and method for providing a fate sharing identifier in a network environment

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a first portion of an identifier associated with a communication session involving a first endpoint that generated the first portion of the identifier;

receiving a second portion of the identifier associated with the communication session involving a second endpoint that generated the second portion of the identifier, the communication session comprising a plurality of data flows including at least a first data flow originating at the first endpoint and a corresponding second data flow originating at the second endpoint;

communicating a reservation request associated with a network resource to be allocated for the communication session, wherein the reservation request includes the first portion and the second portion of the identifier, wherein the first portion of the identifier combined with the second portion of the identifier form a combined identifier that uniquely identifies the plurality of data flows of the communication session between the first and second endpoints; and

in response to the first data flow being purged, purging the corresponding second data flow based on the combined identifier, such that purging of the first data flow causes purging of at least one other data flow in a same communication session without causing purging of data flows in other communication sessions,

wherein a transfer feature invocation by the first endpoint causes the first portion of the identifier to be changed to reflect a third endpoint being associated with the communication session.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

communicating a call offer toward the second endpoint, wherein the first and second endpoints are configured to exchange packets after the communication session is established.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a feature operation by the first endpoint results in a connected party update for both endpoints, and wherein at a subsequent reservation refresh, the combined identifier is updated.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first portion and the second portion are processed via a concatenation operation, or via an XOR operation in order to generate the reservation request for the network resource.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reservation request is a Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP) reserve message for the network resource, and wherein the communication session is a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) session involving a session initiation protocol (SIP).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the identifier and the second portion of the identifier are exchanged via call signaling between call agents associated with the first and second endpoints involved in the communication session.

7. Logic encoded in one or more non-transitory tangible media that includes code for execution and when executed by a processor operable to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first portion of an identifier associated with a communication session involving a first endpoint that generated the first portion of the identifier;

receiving a second portion of the identifier associated with the communication session involving a second endpoint that generated the second portion of the identifier, the communication session comprising a plurality of data flows including at least a first data flow originating at the first endpoint and a corresponding second data flow originating at the second endpoint;

communicating a reservation request associated with a network resource to be allocated for the communication session, wherein the reservation request includes the first portion and the second portion of the identifier, wherein the first portion of the identifier combined with the second portion of the identifier form a combined identifier that uniquely identifies the plurality of data flows of the communication session between the first and second endpoints; and

in response to the first data flow being purged, purging the corresponding second data flow based on the combined identifier, such that purging of the first data flow causes purging of at least one other data flow in a same communication session without causing purging of data flows in other communication sessions,

wherein a transfer feature invocation by the first endpoint causes the first portion of the identifier to be changed to reflect a third endpoint being associated with the communication session.

8. The logic of claim 7 , the operations further comprising:

communicating a call offer toward the second endpoint, wherein the first and second endpoints are configured to exchange packets after the communication session is established.

9. The logic of claim 7 , wherein a feature operation by the first endpoint results in a connected party update for both endpoints, and wherein at a subsequent reservation refresh, the combined identifier is updated.

10. The logic of claim 7 , wherein the first portion and the second portion are processed via a concatenation operation, or via an XOR operation in order to generate the reservation request for the network resource.

11. The logic of claim 7 , wherein the reservation request is a Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP) reserve message for the network resource, and wherein the communication session is a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) session involving a session initiation protocol (SIP).

12. The logic of claim 7 , wherein the first portion of the identifier and the second portion of the identifier are exchanged via call signaling between call agents associated with the first and second endpoints involved in the communication session.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory element configured to store code;

a processor operable to execute instructions associated with the code; and

a resource reservation protocol server or proxy configured to interface with the memory element and the processor such that the apparatus configured to:

receive a first portion of an identifier associated with a communication session involving a first endpoint that generated the first portion of the identifier;

receive a second portion of the identifier associated with the communication session involving a second endpoint that generated the second portion of the identifier, the communication session comprising a plurality of data flows including at least a first data flow originating at the first endpoint and a corresponding second data flow originating at the second endpoint; and

communicate a reservation request associated with a network resource to be allocated for the communication session, wherein the reservation request includes the first portion and the second portion of the identifier, wherein the first portion of the identifier combined with the second portion of the identifier form a combined identifier that uniquely identifies the plurality of data flows of the communication session between the first and second endpoints; and

in response to the first data flow being purged, purging the corresponding second data flow based on the combined identifier, such that purging of the first data flow causes purging of at least one other data flow in a same communication session without causing purging of data flows in other communication sessions,

wherein a transfer feature invocation by the first endpoint causes the first portion of the identifier to be changed to reflect a third endpoint being associated with the communication session.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein a feature operation by the first endpoint results in a connected party update for both endpoints, and wherein at a subsequent reservation refresh, the combined identifier is updated.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first portion and the second portion are processed via a concatenation operation, or via an XOR operation in order to generate the reservation request for the network resource.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the reservation request is a Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP) reserve message for the network resource, and wherein the communication session is a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) session involving a session initiation protocol (SIP).

17. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first portion of the identifier and the second portion of the identifier are exchanged via call signaling between call agents associated with the first and second endpoints involved in the communication session.