On Mon, Jul 11, 2005 at 12:16:34PM +0200, Brad Knowles wrote:
I don't know the specifics of how much capacity is reserved, but this sort of thing has been done on telecommunications networks for a long time. Back before cell phones existed, you could have "flash" traffic on the DDN or even the PSTN, and when placing a flash call the phone system would disconnect anyone that stood in your way of getting the connection you wanted.
You had to be using special telephone equipment, or connected to a special operator with the right equipment, and you had damn well better be sure that your call was worthy of knocking anyone else off the network, but the capability was there. Even the President would normally make his calls at lower than "flash" priority.
See also http://tsp.ncs.gov/ and http://wps.ncs.gov/ , as well as http://www.disa.mil/gs/dsn/tut_mlpp.html and http://www.disa.mil/gs/dsn/tut_precedence.html which explain those Fo, F, I and P keys on AutoVON 16-button WECo 2500s. Cheers, -- jra -- Jay R. Ashworth jra@baylink.com Designer +-Internetworking------+----------+ RFC 2100 Ashworth & Associates | Best Practices Wiki | | '87 e24 St Petersburg FL USA http://bestpractices.wikicities.com +1 727 647 1274 If you can read this... thank a system administrator. Or two. --me