Patent ID: 7564859

Claim:
A method for routing Virtual Tributary (VT) circuits in a SONET network without requiring or utilizing VT cross connections on one or more intermediate NE, and wherein the method can be performed by a single Network Element (NE), comprising: creating a Synchronous Transport Signal (STS) pipe between a first NE and a second NE, said first and second NE providing VT cross connection capability, and said STS pipe traversing at least one intermediate NE; and routing through and within said STS pipe a plurality of VT circuits between said first NE and said second NE, said plurality of VT circuits traversing said at least one intermediate NE on which VT cross connections are not utilized; wherein routing comprises inserting said VT circuit into said STS pipe at said first NE by a cross connection at said first NE and extracting the VT circuit from said STS pipe at said second NE by a cross connection at said second NE.