Patent ID: 9391704
Filing Date: 2016-07-12
CPC Classification: H04B,H04L

Claim Text:
1. A method, comprising: determining, by one or more network elements in a server network in response to a replacement path inquiry by a first client packet switching device, a new communications path between a first network node and a second network node in the server network while an existing communications path is currently configured in the server network to carry traffic between the first and second network nodes, with the first client packet switching device external to the server network and directly coupled to the first network node, with a second client packet switching device external to the server network and directly coupled to the second network node, such that the server network communicatively couples the first client packet switching device to the second client packet switching device over the existing communications path over which packet traffic is currently carried; and, sending a new path acknowledgement message including one or more characteristics of the new communications path by the first network node to the first packet switching device; and configuring the new communications path communicatively coupling the first client packet switching device to the second client packet switching device through the server network by the server network in response to a configure path request by the first client packet switching device received subsequent to said sending the new path acknowledgement message; wherein the existing communications path is defined to span within the server network inclusively between a network interface of the first network node and a network interface of the second network node, with the existing communications path within the server network including one or more exclusive physical resources dedicated to the existing communications path, and wherein the new communications path includes at least one of said exclusive physical resources dedicated to the existing communications path; and wherein by definition, an exclusive physical resource at any given time is exclusively used by a single communications path through the server network, including said at least one of said exclusive physical resources dedicated to the existing communications path not being simultaneously used by the existing communications path when said configuring the new communications path.