Patent ID: 7643467

Claim:
A method of performing constraint based routing on a communication network, the method comprising the steps of: obtaining information relating to a topology of the communication network by at least one focal node on the communication network; maintaining a constraint table by the focal node, the constraint table containing metrics of links and connection reservations through the communication network; using the constraint table by the focal node to determine a plurality of traffic engineered paths for a plurality of connections to be implemented on the communication network, each of the plurality of traffic engineered paths extending between the focal node and other nodes on the communication network; and causing all traffic subject to traffic engineering to pass through the focal node prior to being passed onto the communication network, to enable the focal node to add source routing information to the traffic subject to traffic engineering before passing the traffic subject to traffic engineering onto the communication network so that the focal node can cause the traffic subject to traffic engineering to follow the determined plurality of traffic engineered paths on the communication network without requiring dissemination of path reservations for the traffic engineered paths on the communication network.