Abstract: Techniques for establishing communications include automatically provisioning a primary circuit for communications between a first node and a second node in a communications network, and automatically provisioning a protection circuit for communications between the first node and the second node. The circuits can be provisioned in response to receiving a request to establish communications between the first and second nodes, and the sum of administrative weights of all links forming the primary and protection circuits can be minimized with respect to available links. The techniques can provide quick and efficient provisioning of the circuits on an as-needed basis.