Real time control architecture for admission control in communications network

The present invention relates to communications network and particularly although not exclusively to a method of optimizing the performance of a communications network with respect to admission and control of communications data. A communications network comprising N node elements operates N decision tables for controlling admission and control of data communications to the N node elements. Each node element generates corresponding performance data, and the N decision tables and N performance data are collected at a central network controller (1003). The network controller determines a set of new decision tables from the collected decision tables (1004) and distributes a new set of decision tables (1006) to each of the N node elements, which then proceed to operate the new decision tables throughout the network.