A domain-level gradient-based routing （DLR） algorithm for heterogeneous optical networks with syn- chronous digital hierarchy and optical transport network domains is proposed and experimentally vali- dated. This algorithm classifies domains into groups with incremental levels on the basis of domain-level partitioning, and guides paths level by level along a gradient on the basis of interdomain routing tree evolution. The proposed algorithm is implemented in the hierarchical path computation element-based control architecture for connection provisioning. Testbeds with commercial and emulated nodes are es- tablished to verify the feasibility and performance of the algorithm. Experimental and emulation results show that DLR effectively performs in terms of network blocking probability, real time characteristics, and scalability.
