Patent ID: 8565598

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving a connection request for a connection from a first network node to a second network node; determining one or more optical paths from the first network node to the second network node; generating information representing a network map comprising network node pairs that have a viable optical path to each other including at least one node pair that includes the first network node, and an optical regeneration capability and location associated with each network node; determining, for each network node with one or more optical regenerators, optical interface parameters including supported connection speeds, modulation types, and available wavelengths for the one or more optical regenerators; determining optical viability of a path from the optical interface parameters; and selecting a path to the second network node from the one or more optical paths based on one or more path selection criteria that includes one or more paths that are determined to have a minimum number of optical regenerators and the optical interface parameters of any optical regenerators in the path.