A practical approach to VPN resource management using a dynamic hose model

Multipoint Ethernet services and virtual private LAN services are an active field of both research and standardization today. A high degree of automation and reduced customer-provider interaction, together with efficient resource management schemes and a guaranteed QoS level are key requirements for these new services, which constitute challenging problems to service providers. Especially the integration into future (G)MPLS networks is an urging need to many operators. In this article, we evaluate VPN resource management schemes under realistic constraints with respect to their applicability to present service developments for (G)MPLS networks. Based on this evaluation, we propose and discuss a new dynamic hose model-based capacity management scheme, which explicitly targets at keeping signaling load and measurement complexity low. Finally, we prove the applicability of the novel approach by means of simulation in a representative case study