Patent ID: 7773515

Claim:
A method comprising: determining a network performance metric in a network, comprising forming a first set of network element pairs, wherein said network comprises a plurality of network elements, each of said network elements is coupled to at least one other of said network elements by at least one of a plurality of links, and said first set of network element pairs comprises a plurality of pairs of said network elements, forming a second set of network element pairs, wherein said second set of network element pairs comprises ones of said network element pairs in said first set of network element pairs, and ordering a first plurality of network element pairs, wherein said first plurality of network element pairs comprises ones of network element pairs in said first set of network element pairs, and said ordering comprises identifying a plurality of network elements, wherein each of said plurality of network elements is one of a network element pair in said first set of network element pairs, assigning one of a plurality of preferences to said each of said plurality of network elements, and sorting said network element pairs in said first set of network element pairs based on said plurality of preferences.