Patent ID: 6996342

Claim:
A system for adaptively controlling communications channels in a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical network that performs wavelength selective switching, the system comprising: a wavelength and route manager (WRM) that determines a communications channel to be set up to satisfy a request for service between two network elements (A and B), the wavelength and route manager using: a channel selection algorithm that uses at least one rule abstracted from a physical constraint on signal transmission through the optical network to select at least one wavelength for providing the communications channel between A and B, the channel selection algorithm comprising; a route selector adapted to select a route between A and B from a set of routes in accordance with at least one selection criterion, and a wavelength selector adapted to select the at least one wavelength for the communications channel on the selected route; the wavelength selector subject to the following constraints: each of the at least one wavelengths is not indicated to be currently used on any section in the route; if regeneration is required, a regenerator is available to regenerate the at least one wavelength in response to regeneration opportunity information; and the wavelength selector is further adapted further adapted to obtain a distance traversed between A and B over the selected route, and to compare the distance with a predefined regeneration threshold in order to estimate a number (R) of regenerations required for a channel on the route, R being used to select R available regeneration points on the route; a constraint-based route validator for verifying that the at least one wavelength is viable by calculating a link budget and determining settings for transmission equipment that supports the communications channel between A and B; and means for effecting the setup of the at least one wavelength between A and B to provide the communications channel if the constraint-based route validator determines that the route is valid.