Patent ID: 6912221

Claim:
A method of providing network services comprising: receiving a request for a virtual circuit between a first node and a second node in a network, wherein: said network includes a plurality of nodes that includes said first and said second nodes, each one of said plurality of nodes being coupled to at least one other of said plurality of nodes by at least one of a plurality of optical links, said network supports a plurality of virtual circuits, and said request specifies a quality of service of said virtual circuit; determining if said network can support said virtual circuit at said quality of service; and servicing said request, if said network can support said virtual circuit, wherein said quality of service is defined by a set of parameters that includes: a provisioning time, said virtual circuit to be provisioned within said provisioning time; a latency time, information to be communicated between said first and said second nodes in a period of time no greater than said latency time; a level of availability; and at least one restoration parameter.