Methods and apparatus to determine a capacity for a network layer topology

An apparatus to plan a network capacity, comprising:

• a link database comprising a plurality of network layer links;
• a topology initializer to apply weights to the network layer links;
• an element selector to select a selected traffic element of a plurality of traffic elements, the selected traffic element comprising a traffic demand, a source node, and a destination node;
• a link evaluator in communication with the element selector to iteratively determine whether the selected traffic element may be routed on respective ones of the network layer links without adding capacity to the respective ones of the network layer link;
• a link weighter in communication with the link evaluator to selectively apply a penalty to the weight associated with the respective ones of the network layer links that cannot support the selected traffic element without adding capacity;
• a path calculator in communication with the link weighter to determine, based on the weights and penalties of the network layer links, a routing path comprising network layer links between the source node and the destination node;
• and
• a traffic adder in communication with the path calculator to add the selected traffic element to the network layer links of the routing path determined by the path calculator and to determine the capacity of the network layer links on the routing path after adding the selected traffic element.

A tangible computer readable storage medium perceivable by a human sense of touch without assistance from a device, comprising machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to perform operations comprising:

• applying weights to network layer links in a network layer topology;
• selecting a traffic element, the selected traffic element comprising a source node, a destination node, and a traffic demand;
• for each of the network layer links in the plurality:
• (a) determining, for a selected network layer link from the plurality of the network layer links, whether the selected traffic element may be routed on the selected network layer link without adding capacity to the selected network layer link;
• and
• (b) applying penalties to the weights associated with the network layer links that cannot support the selected traffic element without adding capacity;
• determining, based on the weights and penalties of the links, a routing path comprising at least one of the network layer links between the source node and the destination node;
• and
• determining capacities of at least some of the network layer links based on the routing path.