Patent ID: 7051113

Claim:
An apparatus for computing a primary path within a network, the network including a plurality of nodes and a plurality of links, the apparatus comprising: means for identifying a path segment, the means for identifying the path segment being arranged to identify an unprotected path segment included in the primary circuit path that includes at least one protected path segment, the unprotected path segment being defined to include a first unprotected link included in the plurality of links, the unprotected path segment further being defined to enable data to be transferred between a first node and a second node, the first node and the second node being included in the plurality of nodes, wherein the first unprotected link is not included in a blocked list, the blocked list being arranged to identify any node of the plurality of nodes and any link of the plurality of links which are included in the at least one protected path segment as being unavailable for selection; and means for validating, the means for validating being arranged to determine whether the network includes a first alternate path segment that corresponds to the unprotected path segment, the first alternate path segment being arranged to enable data to be at least partially transferred between the first node and the second node, wherein if the network includes the first alternate path segment, the first unprotected link is added to the primary circuit path.