Multi-layer stateful path computation element architecture

An apparatus, comprising:

• one or more network interfaces to communicate within a computer network;
• a processor coupled to the network interfaces and adapted to execute one or more processes;
• and
• a memory configured to store a stateful computing entity process executable by the processor, the process when executed operable to:
• determine underlying network information for the computer network, the underlying network information comprising at least one of either physical and optical network information;
• determine topologies for the computer network and associated resource information, the topologies comprising at least one of either Internet Protocol (IP) and Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) topologies;
• determine label switched path (LSP) state information for the computer network;
• build network state knowledge by aggregating the underlying network information, the topologies and associated resource information, and the LSP state information, wherein the network state knowledge is an aggregation of the underlying network information, the topologies and associated resource information, and the LSP state information;
• establish communication within a dynamic network of other stateful computing entities sharing network state knowledge for parallel computation performance;
• and
• perform network computation based on the network state knowledge.

A system, comprising:

• a plurality of stateful computing entities in a computer network, each stateful computing entity configured to:
• determine underlying network information for the computer network, the underlying network information comprising at least one of either physical and optical network information;
• determine topologies for the computer network and associated resource information, the topologies comprising at least one of either Internet Protocol (IP) and Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) topologies;
• determine label switched path (LSP) state information for the computer network;
• build network state knowledge by aggregating the underlying network information, the topologies and associated resource information, and the LSP state information, wherein the network state knowledge is an aggregation of the underlying network information, the topologies and associated resource information, and the LSP state information;
• establish communication within a dynamic network of other of the plurality of stateful computing entities sharing network state knowledge for parallel computation performance;
• and
• perform network computation based on the network state knowledge.