Patent ID: 8891382

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a receiver configured to receive a path computation element (PCE) protocol (PCEP) path computation request from a path computation client (PCC), wherein the path computation request comprises an impairment validation request that directs a PCE to perform an impairment validation of a network path; a processor coupled to the receiver and configured to implement the PCE by: computing the network path after receiving the path computation request; and performing the impairment validation of the network path specified by the impairment validation request; and a transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to transmit a PCEP reply to the PCC, wherein the PCEP reply comprises an estimated optical signal impairment value resulting from the impairment validation of the computed network path, wherein the impairment validation request comprises a first type length value (TLV), wherein the first TLV comprises: a first Signal Quality Type field that comprises a type of signal quality of the computed network path which indicates a first type of impairment validation to be performed; a first Threshold field that comprises a threshold value, and a first pass (P) bit that comprises an indicator, and wherein the impairment validation request directs the PCE to perform a second network path impairment validation, and wherein the impairment validation request comprises a second TLV that comprises a second Signal Quality Type field that comprises a second type of signal quality of the network path, a second Threshold field that comprises a second threshold value, and a second P bit that comprises a second indicator.