Abstract: Planning stage information is used for network configuration and/or control at an operation stage. A list of recommended routes (LoRR) is generated by one or more planning tools. The LoRR includes a list of routes between different endpoints, the granularity of the route (i.e., allocable bandwidth amounts), description of the type of links used by the route and list of intervening nodes, if any. The LoRR is provided to a process executing at a time of operation of the network. In a preferred embodiment, the LoRR is used by a Network Operations Center (NOC) or other centralized network control system. In other embodiments, the use of the LoRR information can be distributed such as by using the LoRR information within a router, switch or other network processor or process (i.e., operation process).