An expert system-based approach to capacity allocation in a multiservice application environment

The authors discuss the application of expert systems and intelligent control to the transmission link capacity allocation problem. They present a structure for an expert system capacity allocator (ESCA). The structure allows for dynamic allocation of transmission link capacities to support traffic loads at desired performance levels. The ESCA implementation is based on modular capacity expansions and a priori limits on the number of connections for each service type. This approach can perform near-optimal capacity allocation in real-time by using heuristic knowledge to virtually eliminate the required computations in this process. The authors discuss the advantages of the ESCA implementation in providing the ability to make rational decisions in an environment of uncertainty and imprecision, such as nonsystematic overloads and network failures