Optimizing routes across an optical network based on traffic stream bandwidth utilization

Abstract

A method and system are provided for continuously monitoring bandwidth utilization in real time on a backbone of a network. Prefixes using the highest traffic can be identified and additional bandwidth can be provisioned in the form of optical transponder wavelengths. The additional bandwidth can be an express path that passes directly through optical nodes (thereby bypassing transit network devices) to the destination optical node. A centralized controller can perform the monitoring of the network devices, decide that an express path needs to be generated, and control both the network device and the optical network nodes to generate the express path from the network device, through the optical network, to the destination network device. The controller can apply and remove IP static routes and IP addresses associated with an express path. Additionally, the controller can request the setup or tear-down of an optical wavelength within the optical network.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.