Patent ID: 7925161
Filing Date: 2011-04-12
Classification: H04J,H04Q

Abstract:
1. A method of configuring a connection-oriented packet network over a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical network without an optical control layer, the WDM network including a first terminal device and a second terminal device, each terminal device including WDM electro-optic interfaces, the WDM network having a photonic layer connecting the WDM electro-optic interfaces, the photonic layer including a plurality of photonic layer elements including optical fibers, and wherein the photonic layer provides a plurality of lightpaths between the terminal devices, each lightpath traversing a set of the photonic layer elements, the method comprising the steps of: associating a geographic loci with each of said photonic layer elements; defining a multilink trunk between said first terminal device and said second terminal device; selecting a first lightpath to aggregate to said multilink trunk, said first lightpath traversing a first set of said photonic layer elements, said first set of photonic layer elements having a first set of associated geographic loci; and selecting a second lightpath to aggregate to said multilink trunk, said second lightpath traversing a second set of said photonic layer elements, said second set of photonic layer elements having a second set of associated geographic loci, wherein said step of selecting a second lightpath includes: selecting, as said second lightpath, a particular candidate lightpath, where said particular candidate lightpath is associated with the set of geographic loci having the least degree of congruence with said first set of geographic loci.