Method of providing network services

A method of providing network services comprising:

• receiving a request for a virtual circuit between a first node and a second node in a network, said receiving comprising:
• determining a desired provisioning time, said virtual circuit to be provisioned within said desired provisioning time, wherein:
• said network is configured such that a minimum value of said desired provisioning time can be less than about 1 second, and
• said network includes a plurality of nodes including said first and said second 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;
• and
• servicing said request.

A method of providing network services comprising:

• receiving a request for a virtual circuit between a first node and a second node in a network, said receiving comprising:
• determining a desired restoration time, said desired restoration time being a period of time within which said virtual circuit is restored in response to a failure in said network affecting said virtual circuit, wherein:
• said network is configured such that a minimum value of said desired restoration time can be less than about 1 second,
• a redundant capacity of said network is less than a maximum capacity of said network, and
• said network includes a plurality of nodes including said first and said second 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;
• and
• servicing said request.

A method of providing network services comprising:

• receiving a plurality of requests, wherein
• each one of said plurality of requests is a request for a corresponding virtual circuit,
• each one of said corresponding virtual circuits is between a corresponding first node and a corresponding second node of a plurality of nodes, said corresponding first and said corresponding second nodes corresponding to said one of said corresponding virtual circuits, and
• each one of said plurality of nodes is coupled to at least one other of said plurality of nodes by at least one of a plurality of optical links to form a network;
• servicing said plurality of requests by determining, for each one of said plurality of requests:
• a desired provisioning time for said corresponding virtual circuit, said corresponding virtual circuit to be provisioned within said desired provisioning time of receiving said one of said plurality of requests by configuring a corresponding physical circuit between said corresponding first and said corresponding second nodes, wherein said corresponding physical circuit is configured by:
• automatically identifying corresponding intermediary nodes of said plurality of nodes comprising said corresponding physical circuit, if said corresponding physical circuit includes any intermediary nodes, and
• configuring said corresponding first, said corresponding second, and said corresponding intermediary nodes, if any,
• a desired latency time for said corresponding virtual circuit, information to be communicated between said corresponding first and said corresponding second nodes in a period of time no greater than said desired latency time,
• a desired level of availability for said corresponding virtual circuit, and
• a desired restoration time for said corresponding virtual circuit, said desired restoration time being a period of time required to restore said corresponding virtual circuit in response to a failure in said corresponding physical circuit;
• provisioning certain ones of said virtual circuits within said desired provisioning time;
• maintaining said certain ones of said virtual circuits with said desired latency time and said desired level of availability;
• and
• restoring failed ones of said certain ones of said virtual circuits within said desired restoration time, in response to a failure in said network affecting said virtual circuit.

A computer system comprising:

• a processor coupled to a first node in a network, wherein
• said network includes a plurality of nodes that includes said first node and a second node, 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, and
• said network supports a plurality of virtual circuits;
• computer readable medium coupled to said processor;
• and
• computer code, encoded in said computer readable medium, configured to cause said processor to:
• receive a request for a virtual circuit between said first and said second nodes, wherein said request specifies a quality of service of said virtual circuit;
• determine if said network can support said virtual circuit at said quality of service;
• and
• service said request, if said network can support said virtual circuit
• wherein said quality of service is defined by a set of parameters that includes:
• a provisioning time, said virtual circuit to be provisioned within said provisioning time;
• a latency time, information to be communicated between said first and said second nodes in a period of time no greater than said latency time;
• a level of availability;
• and
• at least one restoration parameter.

A network comprising:

• a plurality of nodes that includes a first node and a second node;
• a plurality of optical links, wherein
• each one of said plurality of nodes is coupled to at least one other of said plurality of nodes by at least one of said plurality of optical links, and
• said network supports a plurality of virtual circuits;
• and
• a processor, coupled to said first node, wherein said processor is configured to
• provision network services of said network by virtue of being configured to
• receive a request for a virtual circuit between said first and said second nodes, wherein said request specifies a quality of service of said virtual circuit,
• determine if said network can support said virtual circuit at said quality of service, and
• service said request, if said network can support said virtual circuit
• wherein said quality of service is defined by a set of parameters that includes:
• a provisioning time, said virtual circuit to be provisioned within said provisioning time;
• a latency time, information to be communicated between said first and said second nodes in a period of time no greater than said latency time;
• a level of availability;
• and
• at least one restoration parameter.

A computer program product for controlling the provision of network services, said computer program product encoded in computer readable media and comprising:

• a first set of instructions, executable on a computer system, configured to receive a request for a virtual circuit between a first node and a second node in a network, wherein:
• said computer system is coupled to said first node,
• said network includes a plurality of nodes that includes said first and said second 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 network supports a plurality of virtual circuits, and
• said request specifies a quality of service of said virtual circuit;
• a second set of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to determine if said network can support said virtual circuit at said quality of service;
• and
• a third set of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to service said request, it said network can support said virtual circuit
• wherein said quality of service is defined by a set of parameters that includes:
• a provisioning time, said virtual circuit to be provisioned within said provisioning time;
• a latency time, information to be communicated between said first and said second nodes in a period of time no greater than said latency time;
• a level of availability;
• and
• at least one restoration parameter.