Method for allocating bandwidth in an optical network

A method of allocating bandwidth in an optical network comprising:

• (a) determining a bandwidth requirement of a requested virtual wavelength path between a first node and a second node of a plurality of nodes, each one of said plurality of nodes being coupled to at least one other of said plurality of nodes by at least one of a plurality of optical links, said plurality of nodes and said plurality of optical links forming the optical network;
• (b) selecting a physical path between said first and said second nodes from a plurality of such physical paths;
• (c) determining whether said physical path has enough available bandwidth to meet said bandwidth requirement of said requested virtual path;
• (d) repeating steps (b) and (c) until either an acceptable physical path is found, or every one of said plurality of physical paths has been selected;
• (e) allocating said acceptable physical path, if said acceptable physical path is found;
• and
• (f) determining whether said acceptable physical path will be available at a future time, if said acceptable physical path is not currently available.

A method of allocating bandwidth in an optical network comprising:

• requesting a virtual wavelength path between a first node and a second node wherein
• said first node is coupled by one of certain ones of a plurality of optical links to a node of a first one of a plurality of node/link combinations,
• each one of said plurality of node/link combinations comprises one of said certain ones of said plurality of nodes coupled to one of said certain ones of said plurality of optical links, and
• a link of each one of said plurality of node/link combinations is coupled to a node of a next one of said plurality of node/link combinations, except for a link of a last one of said plurality of node/link combinations, said link of said last one of said plurality of node/link combinations being coupled to said second node, wherein said virtual wavelength path has a bandwidth requirement associated therewith;
• determining an amount of bandwidth available between said first and said second nodes;
• and
• allocating at least a portion of said amount of bandwidth available between said first node and said second node equal to said bandwidth requirement, if said bandwidth requirement is not greater than said amount of bandwidth available between said first node and said second node.

A method of allocating bandwidth in a network, said network comprising a plurality of nodes, each one of said plurality of nodes being coupled to at least one other of said plurality of nodes by at least one of a plurality of optical links, said method comprising:

• determining an available link bandwidth for each one of said plurality of optical links in response to receiving a bid from at least one entity;
• dividing said available link bandwidth for each one of said plurality of optical links into a plurality of bandwidth units;
• and
• providing at least one of said plurality of bandwidth units to said at least one entity.

A method of allocating bandwidth in a network, said network comprising a plurality of nodes, each one of said plurality of nodes being coupled to at least one other of said plurality of nodes by at least one of a plurality of optical links, said method comprising:

• determining an available link bandwidth for each one of said plurality of optical links;
• dividing said available link bandwidth for each one of said plurality of optical links into a plurality of bandwidth units;
• providing at least one of said plurality of bandwidth units to at least one entity by operating a market for sale of said plurality of bandwidth units, said at least one entity purchasing said at least one of said plurality of bandwidth units on said market, wherein said at least one entity is one of a plurality of entities;
• accepting a bid from each one of a number of said plurality of entities for at least one of a plurality of subsets of said plurality of bandwidth units;
• and
• selecting a winning bid for said at least one of a plurality of subsets of said plurality of bandwidth units.