Patent ID: 8305881

Claim:
A method for allocating a plurality of wavelength channels within an optically protected wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) network, said WDM network supporting a plurality of service connections, the method performed by a control unit adapted to communicate with nodes within the WDM network, said method comprising: grouping service connections into respective service channel group of non-overlapping paths from next-neighbor traffic and of overlapping paths between connections originating at nodes other than next-neighbor traffic; for each service channel group of non-overlapping paths, assigning at least one common wavelength channel for establishing the service connections; for each service channel group of overlapping paths, assigning remaining wavelength channels for servicing said overlapping paths; and assigning at least one common wavelength channel for establishing a shared protection path for each service channel group of non-overlapping paths and remaining overlapping paths, wherein said at least one common wavelength channel for establishing a shared protection path is different from said at least one common wavelength channel for establishing the service connections of non-overlapping paths.