Technique for implementing a virtual private optical switched transport network using virtual private optical/TDM cross-connect technology

1. A method for implementing a virtual private optical switched transport network using virtual private optical cross-connect technology, the method comprising the steps of:

partitioning a network into a plurality of private switch partitions, wherein the plurality of partitions are connected to each other via backbone links including one or more channels for communicating routing update information;

assigning each partition to a customer, wherein each partition is capable to be assigned to another customer without changing the private address assigned to the partition and used by a customer for requesting optical connectivity;

establishing a private switched network by allowing each customer to exclusively control each respectively assigned partition and assign a private address to the partition, wherein each partition comprises at least one virtual private optical cross connect for virtualizing at least one resource, wherein the network comprises a plurality of optical time division multiplexing cross connects;

adjusting bandwidth associated with the private switched network based on at least one of an addition and a removal of at least one site to the at least one virtual private optical cross connect; and

provisioning customer optical connections at real time using label switch paths, wherein the optical connections is represented as a forwarding adjacency.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network is partitioned by a service provider.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the customer is a private network running Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switching.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

defining a virtual private optical cross connect topology to be supported by the service provider, wherein each customer defines the topology.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual private optical cross connect is implemented at one of a node level and a network level.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of: dynamically configuring the private switched network via dynamic routing.

7. A system for implementing a virtual private optical switched transport network using virtual private optical cross-connect technology, the system comprising:

a network having a plurality of private switch partitions, wherein the plurality of partitions are connected to each other via backbone links including one or more channels for communicating routing update information and a private switched network is established by allowing each customer to exclusively control each respectively assigned partition and assign a private address to the partition;

wherein each partition is capable to be assigned to another customer without changing the private address assigned to the partition and used by a customer for requesting optical connectivity; and

at least one virtual private optical cross connect for virtualizing at least one resource associated with each partition, wherein the network comprises a plurality of optical time division multiplexing cross connects;

wherein bandwidth associated with the private switched network is adjusted based on at least one of an addition and a removal of at least one site to the at least one virtual private optical cross connect; and

wherein customer optical connections are provisioned at real time using label switch paths, wherein the optical connections is represented as a forwarding adjacency.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the network is partitioned by a service provider.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the customer is a private network running Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switching.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the customer defines a virtual private optical cross connect topology to be supported by the service provider.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the virtual private optical cross connect is implemented at one of a node level and a network level.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the private switched network is dynamically configured via dynamic routing.

13. An article of manufacture for implementing a virtual private optical switched transport network using virtual private optical cross-connect technology, the article of manufacture comprising:

at least one processor readable carrier; and

instructions carried on the at least one carrier;

wherein the instructions are configured to be readable from the at least one carrier by at least one processor and thereby cause the at least one processor to operate so as to:

partition a network into a plurality of private switch partitions, wherein the plurality of partitions are connected to each other via backbone links including one or more channels for communicating routing update information;

assign each partition to a customer, wherein each partition is capable to be assigned to another customer without changing the private address assigned to the partition and used by a customer for requesting optical connectivity;

establish a private switched network by allowing each customer to exclusively control each respectively assigned partition and assign a private address to the partition, wherein each partition comprises at least one virtual private optical cross connect for virtualizing at least one resource, wherein the network comprises a plurality of optical time division multiplexing cross connects; and

adjust bandwidth associated with the private switched network based on at least one of an addition and a removal of at least one site to the at least one virtual private optical cross connect;

wherein the customer is a private network running generalized multi-protocol label switching, wherein the private network is represented as a forwarding adjacency.