1. A method for restoring a virtual path, the method comprising: identifying an alternate physical path, wherein said virtual path is over a physical path in an optical network, said optical network comprising a plurality of nodes, said physical path comprises a first subset of nodes of said nodes, and said alternate path comprises a second subset of nodes of said nodes and is between a first node and a second node of said first subset of nodes; and determining whether said alternate physical path is able to support said virtual path by determining whether each node of said second subset of nodes has sufficient resources necessary to support said virtual path.