In one embodiment, negotiation is performed between the client-layer (e.g., Layer-3 or Layer-2) network and the server-layer (e.g., optical) network to establish a path through the server-layer network with desired server-layer characteristics. This negotiation may include a first iteration of a client-layer request of one or more first server-layer characteristics followed by a negative server-layer response, and a subsequent iteration of a particular client-layer request of one or more particular server-layer characteristics followed by a positive server-layer response, with said particular server-layer characteristics including at least one relaxed server-layer characteristic of said first server-layer characteristics. One embodiment establishes, in response a client-layer request to the server-layer network responsive to the positive server-layer response, a server-layer path between said two client-layer devices that satisfies said particular server-layer characteristics, but does not satisfy said first server-layer characteristics.