Patent ID: 8223632

Claim:
A method to reroute logical circuit data in a data network, the method comprising: identifying a failed logical circuit established for a customer in the data network; determining a first quality of service parameter for communication of data associated with the customer in the failed logical circuit; identifying a logical failover circuit comprising an alternate communication path for communicating the data associated with the customer; determining a second quality of service parameter for communication of data in the logical failover circuit; when the first quality of service parameter for the failed logical circuit is equal to or less than the second quality of service parameter for the logical failover circuit, rerouting the data associated with the customer to the logical failover circuit without requiring authorization from the customer to communicate the data at the second quality of service parameter; and when the second quality of service parameter for the logical failover circuit is a lower level of quality than the first quality of service parameter for the failed logical circuit: prompting the customer for an authorization to communicate the data associated with the customer via the logical failover circuit at the second quality of service parameter; when the authorization is received, rerouting the data from the failed logical circuit to the logical failover circuit; and when the authorization is denied, not rerouting the data to the logical failover circuit.