Patent ID: 7940753

Claim:
A method of enhancing routing optimality in IP networks requiring path establishment, comprising: a path computational element automatically computing an explicit optimal network route between a first communication element in a first network cloud and a second communication element in a second network cloud using a network configuration of the first and second network clouds, the first network cloud and the second network cloud each including a plurality of communication elements, and each having boundaries beyond which each of the plurality of communication elements in each network cloud are unable to see a connectivity between any other communication elements outside each respective network cloud, the path computational element having an overview of all communication elements in the network clouds; the path computational element providing the computed explicit optimal network route to a routing engine; commissioning a path through the first network cloud and the second network cloud from the first communication element to the second communication element using the provided explicit optimal network route; establishing a path using the computed explicit optimal network route; switching to an alternative route that is inferior to the computed explicit optimal network route upon a failure of the computed explicit optimal network route to function properly; attempting to renegotiate the commissioned path to the computed explicit optimal network route; determining that the explicit optimal network route is again available; and switching the commissioned path back to the computed explicit optimal network route when that route is determined to be again available.