Patent ID: 8218968

Claim:
A method for discovering neighboring nodes, comprising: establishing a first optical connection with a first node using a first link, wherein the first optical connection with the first node uses a communication protocol that is defined to detect a type of reconfiguration event in the first optical connection when no communication exists over the first link for longer than a defined recovery interval, the type of reconfiguration event comprising a change in a node that is using the first link; detecting a reconfiguration event of said type in the first optical connection while a connection exists over the first link before the defined recovery interval elapses; initiating a discovery process to detect whether the first node or a second node is using the first link; and upon detecting the second node using the first link, disabling the first optical connection and establishing a second optical connection with the second node, wherein disabling the first optical connection comprises releasing at least one resource associated with the first optical connection to prevent stranding of the resource.