Patent ID: 8315159
Filing Date: 2012-11-20
Classification: H04B,H04J,H04Q

Abstract:
1. A computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program product containing control logic which, when loaded into a computer processor, causes the processor to perform a method of utilizing an optical bypass link between a first network element and a third network element on a communication network, the method comprising the steps of: using, by the first network element, a routing function to program a forwarding function to forward traffic, which is destined for the third network element, via a first hop-by-hop link of a plurality of hop-by-hop links to a second network element in a path of network elements that includes the third network element based on a network topology database associated with a data-link layer of the communication network; setting at least one policy associated with a physical layer of the communication network related to use of the optical bypass link into a sorting function, the at least one policy directing the first network element to direct the traffic to the third network element via the optical bypass link, and wherein the optical bypass link is not identified in the network topology database; and using the sorting function to instruct the forwarding function to selectively divert at least a portion of the traffic on the communication network to the third network element via the optical bypass link without notifying the routing function that the at least a portion of the traffic is not being forwarded to the second network element via the first hop-by-hop link.