A managed communication system is disclosed. The system includes a network having a plurality of layers, such as layers 1, 2, 3, through layer n. Each layer requests and receives services from the layer directly below it. A control module is provided that interacts with the components of each layer. Preferably, each layer exposes one or more flexibility attributes, e.g., route control, bandwidth control, QoS control, or other attributes. A monitoring module is also provided that measures network traffic on ingress to each layer and accepts requirements associated with such traffic