PATH DISCOVERY IN A COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK

摘要

The invention relates to a method (40) and an apparatus (38) for discovering a path in a communications network (10). Embodiments of the invention disclose determining (44) whether at least two server trail termination points of the path are compatible, creating a server trail (46) between the at least two trail termination points, determining (48) whether each trail termination point is framed by a respective client connection termination point of a higher layer, assigning (50) a respective client connection termination point to each of the two trail termination points, creating (52) a link connection between the respective client connection termination points, determining (54, 66) if one of the respective client connection termination points is associated with a higher layer trail termination point, and if it is not so associated then determining (56, 68) if one of the respective client connection termination points is constrained to a single trail termination point. The embodiments of the invention allow paths in a network (10) to be determined after a change has taken place or a physical link has been created.