Patent ID: 7168044

Claim:
A method, comprising: displaying a graphical user interface that allows a user to select, from a representation of a network that is presented on a graphical user interface, a first connection endpoint that is associated with a first access node of the network and a second connection endpoint that is associated with a second access node of the network; executing a routing algorithm to determine a path through the network amongst a plurality of possible paths through the network, the path and the possible paths each connecting the first connection endpoint and the second connection endpoint, the executing comprising: assigning respective weights to links and nodes within the network, each weight of each link and each node representing resources available for each link and each node, wherein a weight of a link increases if the resources available from the link decreases or vice versa, wherein a weight of a node increases if the resources available from the node decreases or vice versa; changing the weights of each link and each node according to availability of resources of each link and each node; determining that the path has the lowest combined weight from the first connection endpoint to the second connection endpoint, including weights of links and nodes between the first connection endpoint and the second connection endpoint; and, provisioning a connection within the network that corresponds to the path, the provisioning comprising updating information held within a node that resides within the network and that resides along the path.