Patent ID: 7321932

Claim:
An optical service agent stored in a computer readable medium at an optical switched router, the optical service agent operable when executed to manage connection establishment and related services for a user in an optical communication network, the optical service agent comprising: a user-to-network interface (UNI) for interfacing with the optical communication network wherein the optical communication network comprises an automatically switched optical/transport network (ASON), and wherein the UNI comprises an ASON UNI; authentication logic for controlling access by the user to the UNI; a peer-to-peer interface for interfacing with peer users including logic for discovering peer optical service agent enabled users associated with optical devices capable of providing optical services and their associated bearer channel identifiers; and optical service logic stored in the computer readable medium, coupled to the UNI and the peer-to-peer interface, and operable when executed to manage the optical communication network in accordance with said connection establishment and related services requested by the user the optical service logic comprising modeling logic for modeling at least one connection for the user including: logic for interacting with the optical communication network to obtain information relating to a portion of a connection traversing the optical communication network; logic for interacting with multiple providers to obtain multiple quotes for communication services; logic for negotiating with one or more providers to obtain favorable terms for the user; logic for interacting with the peer users via the peer-to-peer interface for obtaining information relating to a portion of a connection beyond the optical communication network logic for compiling information relating to a portion of a connection on a user side of the optical communication network; and logic for presenting a modeled connection to the user in a form that is convenient for the user to evaluate the connection.