Patent ID: 7463587

Claim:
A method for identifying a pre-computed path for an incoming connection at a node in a policy-based routing network, said method comprising: distilling requirements of said incoming connection into one or more connection elements; distilling policies associated with routes available from said node into must-avoid and policy elements; identifying at least one policy of said policies which meets said requirements of said incoming connection by comparing said one or more connection elements to said one or more policy elements, wherein said identifying step further comprises the following sub-steps: identifying, as a first set, routes that have a lowest number of required elements mismatching required elements of said incoming connection, from said first set, identifying, as a second set, routes that have a highest number of required elements matching required elements of said incoming connection, and from said second set, identifying, as said at least one policy, a route having a lowest number of must-avoid elements mismatching must-avoid elements of said incoming connection; and utilizing said at least one policy for said pre-computed path for said incoming connection.