A method implemented in a network element, NE, the method comprising: receiving, via a receiver of the NE, connection and access point messages from a plurality of distributed controllers, each distributed controller controlling one or more network domains, wherein the connection and access point messages indicate inter-domain links and access points for the network domains; receiving, via the receiver, a request to compute a path from a source to a destination traversing one or more of the network domains; computing, via a processor of the NE, the path from the source to the destination via the network domains; and transmitting, via a transmitter of the NE, create tunnel segment messages to distributed controllers controlling at least one network domain along the path, the create tunnel segment messages instructing the associated distributed controllers to create one or more tunnel segments to forward communications from the source to the destination along the path, wherein computing the path between the source and the destination comprises: allocating a global path identifier, GPID, identifying the path; allocating a global tunnel identifier, GTID, identifying a tunnel to forward the communications along the path between the source and the destination; determining a shortest path tree, SPT, to one or more edge nodes of the local domain or one or more edge nodes of an adjacent domain using an inter-domain link; determining a lowest cost path segment on the SPT terminating at a lowest cost edge node; and transmitting a grow SPT message to a distributed controller controlling a domain with the lowest cost edge node, wherein the grow SPT message contains the path identifier, the GTID, data indicating the characteristics of the SPT without indicating internal topology of the local domain, and directs the distributed controller to grow the SPT across the domain toward the destination. receiving, via a receiver of the NE, connection and access point messages from a plurality of distributed controllers, each distributed controller controlling one or more network domains, wherein the connection and access point messages indicate inter-domain links and access points for the network domains; receiving, via the receiver, a request to compute a path from a source to a destination traversing one or more of the network domains; computing, via a processor of the NE, the path from the source to the destination via the network domains; and transmitting, via a transmitter of the NE, create tunnel segment messages to distributed controllers controlling at least one network domain along the path, the create tunnel segment messages instructing the associated distributed controllers to create one or more tunnel segments to forward communications from the source to the destination along the path, wherein computing the path between the source and the destination comprises: allocating a global path identifier, GPID, identifying the path; allocating a global tunnel identifier, GTID, identifying a tunnel to forward the communications along the path between the source and the destination; determining a shortest path tree, SPT, to one or more edge nodes of the local domain or one or more edge nodes of an adjacent domain using an inter-domain link; determining a lowest cost path segment on the SPT terminating at a lowest cost edge node; and transmitting a grow SPT message to a distributed controller controlling a domain with the lowest cost edge node, wherein the grow SPT message contains the path identifier, the GTID, data indicating the characteristics of the SPT without indicating internal topology of the local domain, and directs the distributed controller to grow the SPT across the domain toward the destination. allocating a global path identifier, GPID, identifying the path; allocating a global tunnel identifier, GTID, identifying a tunnel to forward the communications along the path between the source and the destination; determining a shortest path tree, SPT, to one or more edge nodes of the local domain or one or more edge nodes of an adjacent domain using an inter-domain link; determining a lowest cost path segment on the SPT terminating at a lowest cost edge node; and transmitting a grow SPT message to a distributed controller controlling a domain with the lowest cost edge node, wherein the grow SPT message contains the path identifier, the GTID, data indicating the characteristics of the SPT without indicating internal topology of the local domain, and directs the distributed controller to grow the SPT across the domain toward the destination.