Patent ID: 7680934

Claim:
A method of assigning and allocating physical network resources to enable Layer 1 Virtual Private Networks (L1-VPNs) to be created within a communication network of the physical network resources, each of the L1-VPNs including dedicated physical network resources which are physically assigned to the L1-VPN and able to be controlled and provisioned for use exclusively within the L1-VPN, the method comprising the steps of: collecting information about available physical network resources used to implement the communication network; designating a first subset of the available physical network resources as dedicated L1-VPN resources, the dedicated L1-VPN resources being physical resources on the communication network that are designated as being dedicated to be provisioned and used only within a first L1-VPN, at least a first portion of the dedicated L1-VPN resources being assigned to the first L1-VPN for exclusive use within the first L1-VPN; designating a second subset of the available physical network resources as shared L1-VPN resources, the shared L1-VPN resources being physical resources on the communication network that are allocated as available to be assigned for use in two or more separate L1-VPNs, at least a first portion of the shared L1-VPN resources being assigned to the first L1-VPN for exclusive use within the first L1-VPN to enable the first portion of the shared L1-VPN resources to be provisioned and used only within the first L1-VPN and at least a second portion of the shared L1-VPN resources being unassigned and able to be assigned to the first L1-VPN or a second L1-VPN for exclusive use within the first L1-VPN or second L1-VPN on demand; receiving a request associated with the first L1-VPN for network resources; and allocating assigned network resources from the first portion of the dedicated L1-VPN resources to fulfill the request; wherein the step of allocating assigned network resources comprises determining current assignment information for the L1-VPN to determine which network resources have been assigned to the L1-VPN, and allocating network resources to the L1-VPN from the first portion of the dedicated L1-VPN resources if those network resources have not previously been allocated to the L1-VPN.