A method includes, for each optical fiber path in an optical network, allocating an optical wavelength channel in an optical spectrum such that the allocated optical wavelength channel is assigned to support optical communications over the optical fiber path. The method also includes updating an allocation table in response to performing the allocating for one or more of the optical fiber paths; the allocating including determining the optical wavelength channel to be allocated based on a state of the allocation table. The allocation table indicates optical wavelength channels allocated over optical fiber spans of the optical network. The method also includes defining a set of optical sub-bands to cover a part of the optical spectrum in response to a state of the allocation table satisfying a fullness property. The optical sub-bands are such that each of the allocated wavelength channels is in one of the optical sub-bands.

A wavelength division multiplexing, WDM, network comprising an apparatus adapted to manage a frequency spectrum in the wavelength division multiplexing, WDM, network, the apparatus comprising an adjustment unit adapted to adjust a frequency offset between carriers for each individual carrier depending on performance characteristics of the individual carriers.

A fault tolerant optical apparatus resilient to ballistic impact damages, capable of enabling distributed processing and networking and using the spectrophotometric transmission properties of polymer film.

A large-scale contiguous network comprises access nodes arranged into access groups and distributors arranged into constellations of collocated distributors. The distributors may comprise switches, rotators, or a mixture of switches and rotators. Each access group connects to each distributor of a respective set of distributors selected so that each pair of access groups connects once to a respective distributor. At least one access group comprises a global controller. Each access node has a dual multichannel link to each constellation of a respective set of constellations, the link carrying a set of dual channels connecting through a spectral demultiplexer and a spectral multiplexer to a subset of distributors. Each access node is equipped with a respective access controller having a memory device storing identifiers of dual paths to all other access nodes and the global controller, each path traversing only one distributor.

A regenerator system is provided for dynamic and asymmetric bandwidth capacity adjustment when exchanging data between a first remote network device and a second remote network device. The regenerator includes first and second couplers in communication with the first and second remote network devices, respectively, using a first communication medium that provides multiple communication channels, and at least one redirecting device operable to selectively configure at least one of the channels for either transmission of a signal from the first remote network device to the second remote network device, or transmission of the signal from the second remote network device to the first remote network device.

Methods, nodes and control modules are disclosed. In the method, circuitry of a first node in a mesh network converts an optical layer in a working path between the first node and a second node, to a data stream in a digital layer. The working path carries data traffic from the first node to the second node in the optical layer of the mesh network when there is no failure in the working path. Circuitry of the first node in the mesh network detects a failure in the working path due to detection of an error in the data stream in the digital layer. The circuitry of the first node establishes, through transmission of at least one signal from the first node to the second node, a restoration path in the optical layer based on, at least in part, detection of the error in the data stream in the digital layer.

Systems and methods for coordinating an optical layer and a packet layer in a network, include a Software Defined Networking (SDN) Internet Protocol (IP) application configured to implement a closed loop for analytics, recommendations, provisioning, and monitoring, of a plurality of routers in the packet layer; and a variable capacity application configured to determine optical path viability, compute excess optical margin, and recommend and cause capacity upgrades and downgrades, by communicating with a plurality of network elements in the optical layer, wherein the SDN IP application and the variable capacity application coordinate activity therebetween based on conditions in the network. The activity is coordinated based on underlying capacity changes in the optical layer and workload changes in the packet layer.

Various example embodiments for supporting transport of data packets over optical fiber networks are presented herein. Various example embodiments for supporting transport of data packets over optical fiber networks may be configured to support transport of data packets over optical fiber networks based on mapping of data packets onto wavelength channels based on quality of service (QoS) mapping. Various example embodiments for supporting transport of data packets over optical fiber networks based on mapping of data packets onto wavelength channels based on QoS mapping may be configured to support transport of data packets over optical fiber networks based on mapping of data packets onto wavelength channels based on QoS mapping information that includes mappings of data packet QoS levels to wavelength channel QoS levels.

Systems and methods for a multi-drop, unidirectional service in a network include, responsive to a source point, one or more drop points, and a routing consideration, computing a path in the network; causing establishment of the multi-drop, unidirectional service on the computed path, through one of a control plane and a Software Defined Networking (SDN) controller; and managing the multi-drop, unidirectional service through the one of the control plane and the SDN controller. The multi-drop, unidirectional service has the source point at an originating node, one or more drop points at associated intermediate nodes, zero or more intermediate nodes with no drop points, and one or more drop points at associated terminating nodes.

A fault tolerant optical apparatus resilient to ballistic impact damages, capable of enabling distributed processing and networking and using the spectrophotometric transmission properties of polymer film.