Service component - gNMI OpenConfig Service Handler:

            added_connection_hops.add(connection_hop)

        connection_hop_list = filtered_connection_hop_list

        # In some cases connection_hop_list first and last items might be internal endpoints of

        # devices instead of link endpoints. Filter those endpoints not reaching a new device.

        if len(connection_hop_list) > 2 and connection_hop_list[0][0] == connection_hop_list[1][0]:

            # same device on first 2 endpoints

            connection_hop_list = connection_hop_list[1:]

        if len(connection_hop_list) > 2 and connection_hop_list[-1][0] == connection_hop_list[-2][0]:

            # same device on last 2 endpoints

            connection_hop_list = connection_hop_list[:-1]

        num_connection_hops = len(connection_hop_list)

        if num_connection_hops % 2 != 0: raise Exception('Number of connection hops must be even')

        if num_connection_hops < 4: raise Exception('Number of connection hops must be >= 4')