Patent ID: 7068659

Claim:
A method for establishing a virtual path aggregation in a network, the method comprising: receiving a request for a virtual path aggregation, wherein the request indicates a desired data path between a source switch and a destination switch, wherein the request includes a traffic descriptor and a virtual path identifier for the virtual path aggregation; determining if there is a trunk group within the source switch having a virtual path identifier that matches the virtual path identifier of the virtual path aggregation; when the trunk group having a virtual path identifier that matches the virtual path identifier of the virtual path aggregation is present: comparing bandwidth characteristics included in the traffic descriptor of the virtual path aggregation with bandwidth limitations of the trunk group; when the bandwidth characteristics of the virtual path aggregation compare unfavorably with the bandwidth limitations of the trunk group, rejecting the virtual path aggregation request; and when the bandwidth characteristics of the virtual path aggregation compare favorably with the bandwidth limitations of the trunk group, creating the virtual path aggregation such that the virtual path aggregation corresponds to the trunk group.