Patent ID: 8761601

Claim:
A network architecture that includes one or more backbone routers having a client-side spare port, and one or more access routers having a network-side alternate port, the architecture providing network reliability by connecting a network side access router alternate port with a client side backbone router spare port over an optical network, comprising: a configurable data link lightpath comprising: a first optical cross-connect connected to the network-side access router alternate port and to a first reconfigurable optical add drop multiplexer, the first reconfigurable optical add drop multiplexer connected to the optical network; and a second optical cross-connect connected to the client-side backbone router spare port and a second reconfigurable optical add drop multiplexer, the second reconfigurable optical add drop multiplexer connected to the optical network; a router controller connected to each backbone router and each access router, the router controller including a processor and a tangible computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer readable instructions, wherein execution of the computer readable instructions by the processor causes the router controller to provide data link control between the one or more access routers and the one or more backbone routers; a dynamic optical layer controller connected to each optical cross-connect, each reconfigurable optical add drop multiplexer and the optical network, the dynamic optical layer controller including a processor and a tangible computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer readable instructions, wherein execution of the computer readable instructions by the processor causes the dynamic optical layer controller to determine a data link lightpath between the first optical cross connect and the second optical cross connect.