Patent ID: 7200332

Claim:
A method for assigning a traffic channel to a wavelength in a multi-ring interconnected optical network, comprising: determining a transport direction for a traffic channel in a ring of a multi-ring optical network having bifurcated work and protect wavelengths; determining a work/protect type of the traffic channel; determining an inter/intra ring type of the traffic channel; assigning the traffic channel to one of an odd and even available wavelength based on the work/protect type of the traffic channel and the transport direction of the traffic channel; and assigning the traffic channel to one of a high and low available traffic channel based on the inter/intra ring type of the traffic channels; wherein when the traffic channel is a work channel, the method further comprises: assigning the traffic channel to a lowest available odd wavelength in response to at least determining the traffic channel comprises intra-ring traffic with a clockwise transport direction; assigning the traffic channel to a lowest available even wavelength in response to at least determining the traffic channel comprises intra-ring traffic with a counterclockwise transport direction; assigning the traffic channel to a highest available odd wavelength in response to at least determining the traffic channel comprises inter-ring traffic with a clockwise transport direction; and assigning the traffic channel to a highest available even wavelength in response to at least determining the traffic channel comprises inter-ring traffic with a counterclockwise transport direction.