Patent ID: 7233743

Claim:
An optical network using a generalized multi-protocol label switched path protocol for establishing lightpaths in the network, the network comprising: an ingress node that transmits a path set-up request message toward a destination node, wherein the path set-up request message includes a first label set of available wavelengths for a requested lightpath from the ingress node to the destination node, the first label set initially designating wavelengths available at the ingress node and being modified at each one of any nodes along the path of the set-up request message to remove any wavelengths which are not available at the one node for the requested lightpath; and an intermediate node optically connected between the ingress node and the destination node, wherein the intermediate node is equipped with a wavelength converter interface, the intermediate node segmenting the set-up of the requested lightpath, including establishing a first segment of the requested lightpath between the intermediate node and the ingress node by transmitting a first reserve message to the ingress node and transmitting a second path set-up request message to the destination node with a second label set of available wavelengths for the requested lightpath, the second label set initially designating wavelengths available at the intermediate node and being modified at each one of any nodes along the path of the second path set-up request message to remove any wavelengths which are not available at the one node for the requested lightpath; wherein upon receipt of the second path set-up request message, the destination node selects an available wavelength from the second label set of available wavelengths, and reserves a second segment of the requested lightpath between the destination node and the intermediate node by transmitting a second reserve message to the ingress node, wherein the segmenting of the set-up by the intermediate node enables the utilization of the second label set made possible by the wavelength converter interface.