Patent ID: 7002917

Claim:
A method for finding a path in a network, wherein said network comprises a plurality of nodes and a plurality of links and each one of said plurality of nodes is coupled to at least one other of said plurality of nodes by at least one of said plurality of links, comprising: generating at least one path cost data set, said path cost data set representing a path cost between a root node of said nodes and destination node of said nodes, wherein said path begins at said root node and ends at said destination node; and accessing said at least one path cost data set wherein said generating and said accessing are performed in such a manner that a minimum-hop path and a minimum-cost path can be determined from said at least one path cost data set, said minimum-hop path represents a path between said root node and said destination node having a minimum number of hops, and at least a requested bandwidth, said minimum-cost path represents a path between said root node and said destination node having a minimum cost, and at least a requested bandwidth said minimum cost comprises a cost of a bandwidth along at least a portion of said path.