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.