Patent ID: 6052796
Filing Date: 2000-04-18
Classification: H04L,H04Q

Abstract:
A method in a computer system for identifying spare capacity to be added to a communications network, the communications network having active segments that carry signals, spare segments that do not carry signals, but that can carry signals if connected to active segments, and switching nodes that connect one segment to another, the method comprising:defining artificial segments within the communications network that do not exist, but that could be added to the communications network;assigning a cost to each spare segment and to each artificial segment;for each active segment in the communications network, identifying a restoral route for the active segment in the communications network, the restoral route comprising active segments, spare segments, and artificial segments connected together in order to transmit signals around the active segment in the event that the active segment were to fail, the restoral route being identified based on the assigned costs; andselecting an artificial segment to be added to the segment based on its usage in the identified restoral routes.