Control of optical connections in an optical network

A method for lightpath provisioning in a reconfigurable optical network having a current topology and current resources, wherein an IP address is assigned to network addressable elements in said reconfigurable optical network, the method comprising the steps of:

• maintaining information regarding a state of said reconfigurable optical network;
• receiving a request to create a lightpath from a source;
• selecting a route for data to be transmitted between said source and a destination based on said current resources of said reconfigurable optical network and said current topology of said reconfigurable optical network;
• generating an API call to create a lightpath, said API call comprising parameters and resulting in a message;
• forwarding said message to each network addressable element along said selected route;
• selecting an output channel at each node to be used as an input channel at a next node;
• reconfiguring an OLXC as input channel at a current node connected to said output channel at said current node;
• receiving a response from said destination that said selected route is not available;
• and
• releasing resources configured along a partially created lightpath.

A system for lightpath provisioning in a reconfigurable optical network having a current topology and current resources, wherein an IP address is assigned to each network addressable element in said reconfigurable optical network, comprising:

• means for receiving a request to create a lightpath from a source;
• means for maintaining information regarding a state of said reconfigurable optical network;
• means for selecting a route for data to be transmitted between said source and a destination based on said current resources of said reconfigurable optical network and said current topology of said reconfigurable optical network;
• means for generating an API call to create a lightpath, said API call comprising parameters and resulting in a message;
• means for forwarding said message to each network addressable element along said selected route;
• means for selecting an output channel at each node to be used as an input channel at a next node;
• means for reconfiguring an OLXC input channel at a current node connected to said output channel at said current node;
• and
• means for receiving a response from said destination that said selected route is available.

A system for lightpath provisioning in a reconfigurable optical network having a current topology and current resources, wherein each network addressable element in said reconfigurable optical network is assigned an IP address, comprising:

• means for receiving a request to create a lightpath from a source;
• means for maintaining information regarding a state of said reconfigurable optical network;
• means for selecting a route for data to be transmitted between said source and a destination based on said current resources of said reconfigurable optical network and said current topology of said reconfigurable optical network;
• means for generating an API call to create a lightpath, said API call comprising parameters and resulting in a message;
• means for forwarding said message to each network addressable element along said selected route;
• means for selecting an output channel at each node to be used as an input channel at a next node;
• means for reconfiguring an OLXC input channel at a current node connected to said output channel at said current node;
• means for receiving a response from said destination that said selected route is not available;
• and
• means for releasing resources allocated along a partially created lightpath.