An optimal resource utilization method and system is disclosed. The method includes monitoring an optical network comprising optical cross connect (OXC) nodes comprising regenerators and connected by links. Communication paths each comprising a group of OXC nodes connected by links of said links are selected. Routing demands, working communication paths, and protection communication paths are selected. A computer processor assigns successive links a wave length and allocates regenerators to multiple successive links. The computer processor positions a first group of the regenerators along the working communication paths and positioning a second group of regenerators along the protection communication paths.