Connection management method for high degree optical cross-connect cluster node

A communications network, comprising:

• a plurality of input nodes;
• a plurality of output nodes;
• a plurality of interconnect nodes;
• and
• a controller configured to:
• receive, by a processor, a connection request for establishing the connection;
• select, by the processor, an input node from the plurality of input nodes in the communications network and an output node from the plurality of output nodes in the communications network;
• select, by the processor, an interconnect node from the plurality of interconnect nodes in the communications network in accordance with an order set out in a pre-determined order list that sets out a specific order for each of the plurality of interconnect nodes;
• determine whether the interconnect node has capacity to connect the input node to the output node;
• in response to the interconnect node having the capacity, connect, by the processor, the input node to the output node via the interconnect node;
• in response to the interconnect node having no capacity to connect the input node to the output node, determine whether all of the plurality of interconnect nodes on the pre-determined order list have been examined;
• when all of interconnect nodes on the pre-determined order list have not been examined, select a next interconnect node having a second order next to the order of the interconnect node on the pre-determined order list;
• determine whether the next interconnect node has capacity to connect the input node to the output node;
• and
• when the next interconnect node has the capacity to connect the input node to the output node, connect the input node to the output node via the next interconnect node.