Routing around intra-network element disconnectivity

Routing around intra-network element (intra-NE) disconnectivity is described. The routing is performed on one or more network element (NEs) of a channelized network. The routing involves performing a shortest-path-search (SPS) to determine a shortest non-disconnected path from a single path-ingress edge to a single path-egress edge. The SPS includes classifying a set of endpoints of each NE in the channelized network as an equivalence class of endpoints, classifying a set of paths-so-far between each NE in the channelized network as an equivalence class of paths-so-far, grouping each equivalence class of paths-so-far by the equivalence class of endpoints that includes a terminal endpoint of the path-so-far that is furthest from the single path-ingress edge, and exploring separately each equivalence class of edges that are incident to each NE when determining the shortest non-disconnected path from the single path-ingress edge to the single path-egress edge.