Patent ID: 7733784

Claim:
An apparatus for selecting a label switched path (LSP) from a source to a destination among a plurality of nodes connected by a plurality of links in an administrative network, the apparatus comprising: a status analyzing unit which analyzes and digitizes performance information, a fault occurrence, and a fault history of each link in order to convert the performance information, the fault occurrence, and the fault history into standardized values; a link weight managing unit which determines link weight values based on reference values, wherein said reference values are calculated: using a predetermined weight calculation algorithm, based on (a) second constraints related to a performance analysis of a path as required by the administrative network's policy, and (b) the standardized values provided by the status analyzing unit; and an LSP selecting unit which (i) prepares a route list of paths from the source to the destination by using a method of executing a predetermined background task, (ii) selects at least a path, from among the paths on the route list, that satisfies first constraints related to a path selection as required by the administrative network's policy, and (iii) selects, when there are several paths that satisfy the first constraints, a path that minimizes expense, wherein said expense is calculated using the link weight values.