1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to least cost routing of a call across a communication network.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a communication network where nodes are interconnected by a link, the conventional least cost routing algorithm determines a total value of link costs for each of possible routes between source and destination nodes for comparison with each other to find a least cost route. However, since the link cost is usually represented by economic factors, the least cost route is not always the best route from the view point of network traffic or other requirements. If a failure occurs in a link, a need arises to avoid the failed link. However, the conventional route cost determination on a link-by-link basis would result in the selection of a route which is not optimum for network traffic.