Current network design problems can be solved by offline or online methods. Offline methods are criticized for their complexity and in flexibility, whereas online methods lack guaranteed optimality. Non-blocking properties, which are typically studied in switching structures, could be used to evaluate the capability of a switching structure to handle dynamic traffic. This dissertation extends the study of non-blocking networks to general-connected mesh WDM backbone networks. This study begins by finding that a set of special graphs have certain non-blocking properties, and that non-blocking routing algorithms can be designed to be implemented in a distributable manner without a central decision system. The in-depth philosophy of this research is to investigate the relationship among these non-blocking properties, the topography of the network, and the power of these distributed routing algorithms. This design paradigm is illustrated by applying it to a potential implementation for NSFNet. After confirming that NSFNet is "NOT" non-blocking, we propose a virtual topography that makes NSFNet virtually non-blocking, along with system diagrams for the node structures and the discussion of the implementation framework. To evaluate the performance of the non-blocking algorithms, we compare the performance of our proposed online algorithm with other algorithms in a general traffic scenario. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]