Patent ID: 7061869

Claim:
A method of reassigning communications paths in a communications network comprising the steps of: (a) analyzing a representation of a set of out-of-kilter communications paths and a representation of a set of in-kilter communications paths to generate an analysis; (b) generating a set of permitted changes, based upon the analysis, to both the representation of the set of out-of-kilter communications paths and the representation of the set of in-kilter communications paths; and (c) generating, in response to the set of permitted changes, an ordered sequence of recommended reassignments of communications paths and associating at least one out-of-kilter communications path associated with the ordered sequence of recommended reassignments with a new in-kilter communications path, wherein communications paths which are originally in-kilter are reassigned only if such reassignments make it feasible to reassign an out-of-kilter communications path.