Patent ID: 8144598

Claim:
A method for providing a telecommunications service between a source node and a destination node in a communications network, wherein the telecommunications service is associated with at least one service requirement, the method comprising: (a) identifying a plurality of fiber segments within the communications network that provide capacity links between the source node and the destination node, wherein each of the plurality of fiber segments is associated with a cost; (b) analyzing the costs of the plurality of fiber segments and selecting therefrom at least two fiber segments to form a route for the telecommunications service; (c) identifying one or more network elements communicatively coupled to the at least two selected fiber segments for use in provisioning the telecommunications service over the route; (d) analyzing the one or more identified network elements to determine whether use of the one or more identified network elements in the route conforms to the at least one service requirement, wherein the one or more identified network elements comprise at least a first network element and a second network element, the first network element and the second network element being co-located at a node, and wherein the analyzing operation (d) comprises: analyzing the first network element to determine whether use of the first network element in the route conforms to the at least one service requirement and, if the first network element causes the route not to conform to the at least one service requirement, analyzing the second network element to determine whether use of the second network element in the route conforms to the at least one service requirement; and (e) based on the analyzing operation (d), if use of the one or more identified network elements causes the route not to conform to the at least one service requirement, selecting at least one other fiber segment to form the route for the telecommunications service.