Patent ID: 8078756

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving at a network administration user interface unit a request to route an open-ended circuit, the request being arranged to specify a first network element, a second network element, and a third network element, wherein the second network element and the third network element are configured to be linked to a destination network element; at a computing device in a network element coupled to the network administration user interface unit: computing for the open-ended circuit a primary unidirectional path from the first network element to the second network element; creating a representation of a link between the third network element and the second network element that is configured to allow an alternate unidirectional path from the first network element that passes through the third network element to the second network element to be identified such that the destination network element is removed and not considered as part of the alternate unidirectional path when the destination network element is of a different type than the first, second and third network elements; computing for the open-ended circuit a portion of the alternate unidirectional path from the first network element to the third network element based on the identified path.