Method and system for implementing an inter-domain constraint-based
shortest path first ("IrD-CSPF") technique for supporting hierarchical
routing in interconnected multi-domain OTNs are described. In one
embodiment, the invention is a method for calculating a network path in
an interconnected multi-domain network. The method comprises receiving a
path setup request message for a new traffic flow in the network
identifying a source node in one domain of the network and a destination
node in a second domain of the network; determining a common ancestor
hierarchical routing domain that includes ancestor nodes of both the
source and destination nodes; calculating an inter-domain path from one
ancestor node to the other ancestor node that determines, for each
lower-level domain, border nodes in the domain from the source node to
the destination node; and for each bottom-level domain, calculating an
intra-domain path between the border nodes that were determined for the
domain.