Patent ID: 8521022

Claim:
In an automatically switched optical network operating according to a wavelength plan, a method of assigning a wavelength to an optical path, comprising: organizing all wavelengths provided by said wavelength plan in a binning table according to natural wavelength reaches and a specified wavelength or fiber specific parameter; determining the length of said optical path and the value of said wavelength or fiber specific parameter for said optical path; and searching said binning table to select a wavelength for said optical path based on availability of said wavelength on said optical path, the length of said optical path and the value of said wavelength or fiber specific parameter, wherein said step of searching comprises: identifying in said binning table a first bin with a wavelength reach corresponding to the length of said optical path, and a wavelength spacing corresponding to said wavelength plan; in said first bin, identifying a wavelength that is currently unused on said optical path and selecting said wavelength for said optical path; and whenever a wavelength is not currently available in said first bin, navigating said table to a second bin with a narrower wavelength spacing; and in said second bin, identifying a wavelength that is currently unused on said optical path and selecting said wavelength for said optical path.