A method of managing traffic among a plurality of interconnected sites (205, 205a, 205b, 205c, 205d) using a transport software-defined networking, TSDN, controller configured to manage traffic over a transport network including the sites (205, 205a, 205b, 205c, 205d), the TSDN controller comprising a processor configured to execute instructions to cause the TSDN controller to carrying out the following steps: a) implementing a logical ring over physical components of the transport network, the logical ring including ring members (305, 305a, 305b) and ring segments, the sites (205, 205a, 205b, 205c, 205d) being logically interconnected via the logical ring; b) receiving information about traffic in the logical ring; c) determining, in accordance with the received information, a need for a change in ring topology; d) in response to the determining, performing topology optimization to accommodate the change in traffic, the topology optimization including at least one of: increasing capacity of a ring segment, decreasing capacity of a ring segment, creating a traffic path, and removing an existing traffic path; and e) transmitting updated routing information to ring members (305, 305a, 305b), the routing information reflecting the change in ring topology; characterized in that the TSDN controller further carries out the following steps: f) determining, based on traffic matrices from two sites (205a, 205b), that there is a requirement for higher capacity between these two sites (205a, 205b), wherein the two sites (205a, 205b) are not connected to each other through adjacent ring members, and g) establishing a direct bypass link for direct traffic between the two sites (205a, 205b) by aggregating together L1/L0 transport layers connections between non-adjacent ring members (305a, 305d) and providing the bypass link with greater capacity than other ring segments. a) implementing a logical ring over physical components of the transport network, the logical ring including ring members (305, 305a, 305b) and ring segments, the sites (205, 205a, 205b, 205c, 205d) being logically interconnected via the logical ring; b) receiving information about traffic in the logical ring; c) determining, in accordance with the received information, a need for a change in ring topology; d) in response to the determining, performing topology optimization to accommodate the change in traffic, the topology optimization including at least one of: increasing capacity of a ring segment, decreasing capacity of a ring segment, creating a traffic path, and removing an existing traffic path; and e) transmitting updated routing information to ring members (305, 305a, 305b), the routing information reflecting the change in ring topology; f) determining, based on traffic matrices from two sites (205a, 205b), that there is a requirement for higher capacity between these two sites (205a, 205b), wherein the two sites (205a, 205b) are not connected to each other through adjacent ring members, and g) establishing a direct bypass link for direct traffic between the two sites (205a, 205b) by aggregating together L1/L0 transport layers connections between non-adjacent ring members (305a, 305d) and providing the bypass link with greater capacity than other ring segments.