Network server layer providing disjoint channels in response to client-layer disjoint path requests

A method, comprising:

• receiving, by an optical-layer ingress server of an optical network, a client-layer disjoint path request to provide an optical circuit through the optical network that is disjoint to a particular existing client-layer path that traverses an existing optical circuit through the optical network;
• initiating, by the optical-layer ingress server, a first new circuit through the optical network to be disjoint to the existing optical circuit through the optical network;
• receiving, by the optical-layer ingress server, a signal identifying that the first new circuit was not disjoint to the existing optical circuit;
• and
• in response to said receiving the signal, initiating, by the optical-layer ingress server, a second new circuit through the optical network to be disjoint to the existing optical circuit through the optical network.

An optical-layer ingress server, comprising:

• one or more processing elements;
• memory;
• and
• a plurality of optical interfaces that send and receive packets;
• wherein the optical-layer ingress server performs operations, including in response to a client-layer disjoint path request to provide an optical circuit through the optical network that is disjoint to a particular existing client-layer path that traverses an existing optical circuit through the optical network:
• initiating a first new circuit through the optical network to be disjoint to the existing optical circuit through the optical network;
• receiving a signal identifying that the first new circuit was not disjoint to the existing optical circuit;
• and
• in response to said receiving the signal, initiating a second new circuit through the optical network to be disjoint to the existing optical circuit through the optical network.

A method, comprising:

• receiving, by an optical node, a client-layer disjoint path request to provide an optical circuit through an optical network, with the client-layer disjoint path request including an identifier corresponding to an existing client-layer path that traverses a current optical circuit through the optical network;
• receiving by the optical node from a second optical node in the optical network route information of the current optical circuit;
• determining, by the optical node, a particular optical circuit through the optical network that is disjoint to the current circuit based on said received route information of the current circuit;
• and
• signaling within the optical network to establish the particular circuit.