Patent ID: 8045481
Filing Date: 2011-10-25
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A system for deriving a virtualized topology from a physical network topology and linking the virtualized topology with actual resources in the physical network topology in order to control resource utilization, comprising: a control domain; a plurality of nodes representing actual resources located within the control domain; wherein at least one of the plurality of nodes is a border node that hosts an exterior network-to-network interface (E-NNI); a routing controller; a plurality of virtual links, wherein a virtual link provides a communication path between two nodes; a path computation selector, wherein the path computation selector analyzes the plurality of virtual links to determine the types of virtual links and thereby compute a network path over a predetermined set of network resources; wherein only the virtualized topology is advertised and not the actual resources within the control domain; and wherein the virtualized topology comprises the plurality of virtual links comprising one or more generic virtual links with no basis or relationship to the actual resources and one or more instantiated virtual links representing a specific physical path, and wherein the one or more generic virtual links are selected based on control over security, policy, and concealment of resources of the physical network topology and the one or more instantiated virtual links are selected to enable the virtualized topology to reflect a true status of resources configured thereon.