METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR STATE-DEPENDENT ADMISSION CONTROL AND ROUTING OF MULTI-RATE CIRCUIT-SWITCHED TRAFFIC

A method and system for routing multi-rate traffic in a communications network determines a first expected admission cost difference that corresponds to admission of the traffic onto a single-link route. If the first expected admission cost difference is less than a pre-determined cost threshold, the network routes the traffic through the single-link route. If the first expected admission cost difference is equal to or greater than the cost threshold, the network determines a second set of expected admission cost differences that corresponds to admission of the traffic onto a set of multi-link routes, and selects the multi-link route that has a minimum expected admission cost difference. If the minimum expected admission cost difference is less than the cost threshold, the network routes the traffic through the selected multi-link route. If the minimum expected admission cost difference is equal to or greater than the cost threshold, the network rejects the traffic so that a total traffic loss rate in the network is minimized.