Replacing an Existing Network Communications Path with a New Path Using Some Exclusive Physical Resources of the Existing Path

A method, comprising:

• receiving, by a first optical device in an optical network from a first packet switching device, a new path request signaling to determine a new communications path between the first packet switching device and a second packet switching device through the optical network;
• wherein the first packet switching device and the second packet switching device are already communicatively coupled via an existing communications path through the optical network, with the existing communications path using a plurality of exclusive optical physical resources;
• and
• determining, by the first optical device, the new communications path based on resources available in the optical network, with said resources available including the plurality of exclusive optical physical resources currently used by the existing communications path;
• wherein the new communications path uses two or more of the plurality of exclusive optical physical resources.

An optical device, comprising:

• one or more processing elements;
• memory;
• and
• a plurality of optical interfaces configured to send and receive optical frames;
• wherein said one or more processing elements are configured to perform operations, including:
• determining a new communications path between a first packet switching device and a second packet switching device through an optical network, wherein the first packet switching device and the second packet switching device are already communicatively coupled via an existing communications path through the optical network, with the existing communications path using a plurality of exclusive optical physical resources;
• wherein said determining the new communications path includes considering for use resources available in the optical network, with said resources available including the plurality of exclusive optical physical resources currently used by the existing communications path.