Patent ID: 7003559

Claim:
A method for determining paths between a start node and an end node of a communication network, the communication network being formed of sub-networks, the sub-networks having connectors and segments, the segments interconnecting various ones of the connectors, the start node corresponding to one of the connectors and the end node corresponding to another of the connectors, said method comprising: storing, in a topology database, information corresponding to connectors and segments of the communication network; receiving, from an operator, information corresponding to the start node and the end node; receiving, from the operator, information corresponding to a type of connector of interest; and in response to the information received, automatically determining a shortest path between the start node and the end node based upon the type of connector of interest by using only the information stored in the topology database; wherein, in determining a shortest path between the start node and the end node, a path with a lowest hop count between the start node and the end node is designated as the shortest path; wherein each of the sub-networks has at least one level 2 connector, each of the sub-networks being configured to intercommunicate with another of the sub-networks via a level 3 connector; wherein receiving information corresponding to a type of connector of interest comprises receiving information corresponding to at least one of: level 2 and level 3 connectors, and level 3 connectors; and wherein, when the type of connectors of interest are level 3 connectors, determining a path between the start node and the end node comprises: identifying sub-networks associated with the start node; and determining whether the end node is associated with at least one of the identified sub-networks.