Patent ID: 8773992

Claim:
A hierarchical routing method for a communication network, the method comprising: determining, using a processor, respective ones of a plurality of constrained weighted paths to connect respective ones of a plurality of different pairs of border nodes of a cluster in the communication network, each constrained weighted path having a respective bandwidth and a respective weight, a first one of the constrained weighted paths to represent a routing connection between a first one of the pairs of border nodes of the cluster, the first one of the constrained weighted paths being selected, based on a bandwidth threshold, from a first set of at least two possible paths capable of connecting the first one of the pairs of border nodes; and advertising, using the processor, the plurality of constrained weighted paths determined for the cluster, the advertising to advertise the first one of the constrained weighted paths selected to represent the routing connection between the first one of the pairs of border nodes instead of advertising any other possible path in the first set capable of connecting the first one of the pairs of border nodes, the first one of the constrained weighted paths being advertised by advertising at least a first bandwidth parameter and a first weight parameter for the first one of the constrained weighted paths.