System and method for re-using wavelengths in an optical network

1. A network, comprising:

at least four network nodes each coupled to at least four network paths, at least four of the network paths used to couple the at least four network nodes; and

at least three isolated sub-networks each including different ones of the network paths and using at least one wavelength in common, at least two of the sub-networks each including at least two of the at least four network nodes that others of the at least two sub-networks do not include, and at least one of the sub-networks including at least four of the network nodes.

2. The network of claim 1 wherein at least two of the at least four network nodes are coupled by an additional even number of network paths, each pair of the additional network paths forming an additional isolated sub-network.

3. The network of claim 1 wherein the at least four network nodes are reconfigurable in an optical domain.

4. The network of claim 1 wherein at least one of the network paths includes multiple network nodes or sub-networks.

5. The network of claim 1 wherein at least one of the at least four network nodes includes at least one add/drop port.

6. The network of claim 1 wherein the sub-networks are ring networks, mesh networks, or a combination of ring networks and mesh networks.

7. The network of claim 1 wherein at least two of the sub-networks use at least one wavelength, in addition to the at least one wavelength in common, supporting communications between nodes of the at least two sub-networks.

8. A method of supporting communications in a network including four network nodes each being coupled to four network paths, the four network nodes being coupled by at least four of the network paths, the method comprising:

carrying first communications on at least one given wavelength in a first isolated sub-network of the network, the first communications being carried through two of the four network nodes and through a first pair of the network paths;

carrying second communications on the at least one given wavelength in a second isolated sub-network of the network, the second communications being carried through the other two of the four network nodes and through a second pair of the network paths;

carrying third communications on the at least one given wavelength in a third isolated sub-network of the network, the third communications being carried through the four network nodes and through four of the network paths other than the first and second pairs of network paths; and

carrying fourth communications on at least one wavelength, in addition to the at least one given wavelength, between two of the isolated sub-networks, the first, second, third, and fourth communications being concurrently carried in the network.

9. A method of supporting communications in a network, comprising:

carrying first communications on at least one given wavelength in a first sub-network of the network, the first communications being carried through at least two network nodes coupled by at least four network paths and through at least two of the at least four network paths;

carrying second communications on the at least one given wavelength in a second sub-network of the network, the second communications being carried through the at least two network nodes and through at least two other paths of the at least four network paths;

carrying third communications on at least one wavelength, in addition to the at least one given wavelength, between the first sub-network and the second sub-network, the first, second, and third communications being concurrently carried in the network; and

carrying additional communications through the at least two network nodes and through at least two additional paths defining a third sub-network, the additional communications being carried on the at least one given wavelength in the third sub-network.

10. The method of claim 8 further including carrying additional communications through an additional even number of network paths coupled to two of the network nodes, each pair of the additional network paths forming an additional isolated sub-network.

11. The method of claim 8 further including optically reconfiguring the network paths.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein carrying first communications includes carrying the first communications through multiple network nodes or sub-networks.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein carrying first communications includes adding or dropping wavelengths to or from the first sub-network.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein carrying first communications includes carrying the first communications in a sub-network that is a ring network, a mesh network, or a combination of ring networks and mesh networks.

15. A network, comprising:

at least two network nodes each coupled to at least four network paths, at least two of the at least four network paths coupling the at least two network nodes;

at least two isolated sub-networks each including at least two of the network nodes, the at least two isolated sub-networks using at least one wavelength in common; and

at least two additional network nodes each coupled to at least four network paths, the at least two additional network nodes coupled to the at least two network nodes by at least two of the network paths and coupled by at least two others of the network paths, at least four of the network paths (i) interconnecting the at least two additional network nodes with the at least two network nodes and (ii) defining a third isolated sub-network.

16. The network of claim 15 wherein the at least two network nodes are coupled by an additional even number of network paths, each pair of the additional network paths forming an additional isolated sub-network.

17. The network of claim 15 wherein the at least two network nodes are reconfigurable in an optical domain.

18. The network of claim 15 wherein at least one of the at least two network nodes includes at least one add/drop port.

19. The network of claim 15 wherein the sub-networks are ring networks, mesh networks, or a combination of ring networks and mesh networks.

20. The network of claim 15 wherein at least two of the sub-networks use at least one wavelength, in addition to the at least one wavelength in common, supporting communications between nodes of the at least two sub-networks.

21. A network, comprising:

four network nodes each coupled to four network paths and coupled by four of the network paths; and

three isolated sub-networks each including different ones of the network paths and using at least one wavelength in common, two of the sub-networks each including two of the four network nodes that the other sub-network does not include, and one of the sub-networks including the four network nodes.

22. A method of supporting communications in a network having two-degree nodes coupled by network paths, the method comprising:

replacing four two-degree nodes of the network with four four-degree nodes;

coupling two pairs of the four-degree nodes each with two additional network paths to create first, second, and third isolated sub-networks;

carrying first communications on a given wavelength in the first sub-network;

carrying second communications on the given wavelength in the second sub-network; and

carrying third communications on the given wavelength in the third sub-network, the first, second, and third communications being concurrently carried in the first, second, and third sub-networks.