The disclosed apparatuses and methods are directed to embedding of virtual links in an optical network. The method comprises: receiving an adaptation request for a virtual link within a virtual network embedded on an optical substrate network; generating a plurality of candidate embeddings based on a topology of the substrate network and a current embedding of the virtual link, each candidate embedding satisfying the adaptation request; determining a total cost of each candidate embedding based on a disruption cost of the candidate embedding; and selecting, as a new embedding, a candidate embedding from the plurality of candidate embeddings in accordance with the determined total cost of the selected candidate embedding.

It is difficult to improve the usage efficiency of an optical communication network due to the passband narrowing effect in a wavelength selection process in an optical communication network using a wavelength division multiplexing system; therefore, an optical network management apparatus according to an exemplary aspect of the present invention includes wavelength selection information generating means for generating wavelength selection information on a wavelength selection process through which an optical path accommodating an information signal goes, with respect to each optical path; and wavelength selection information notifying means for notifying an optical node device through which the optical path goes of the wavelength selection information.

An optical transmission system includes an optical transmitter configured to generate a plurality of optical signals encoded and modulated with the same client data being carriers with the same wavelength, and having different carrier phases, and output the plurality of generated optical signals using a plurality of optical transmitter output ports, each of the optical transmitter output ports corresponding to one of the plurality of optical signals, and one or a plurality of first directional couplers including a plurality of first input ports, each of the first input port connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of optical transmitter output ports.

Systems and methods include determining a defragmentation plan that changes a configuration of a network to move the network from a current state of operation to a new state of operation; updating any of the defragmentation plan and the new state of operation in response to an opportunity presented during operation of the network; and implementing one or more steps in the defragmentation plan based on the opportunity. The opportunity can be anticipated to occur at a future time and implementation of the one or more steps is conditioned on occurrence of the opportunity. For example, the opportunity can include any of a maintenance window, a network equipment change, a capacity change in the network, a change to demand in the network, an external event including weather, and changes in links in the network. Also, the opportunity can include a fault.

Implementations described and claimed herein provide systems and methods for a configurable optical peering fabric to dynamically create a connection between participant sites without any physical site limitations or necessity of specialized client and network provider equipment being located within such a facility. Client sites to a network may connect to a configurable switching element to be interconnected to other client sites in response to a request to connect the first client site with a second site, also connected to network, via the switching element. A request may trigger verification of the requested and, upon validation, transmission of an instruction to the switching element to enable the cross connect within the switching element. The first site and the second site may thus be interconnected via the switching element in response to the request, without the need to co-locate equipment or to manually install a jumper between client equipment.

A method of managing an optical communications network comprising a plurality of nodes interconnected by optical sections. The method comprises: identifying one or more pairs of adjacent DL-equipped nodes at which dummy light (DL) hardware is deployed, respective dummy light (DL) hardware being deployed at fewer than the plurality of the nodes of the optical communications network, the respective DL hardware deployed at a particular node configured to supply dummy light to each optical section extending from the particular node, and defining a respective single-section DL path between each identified pair of adjacent DL-equipped nodes; identifying one or more pairs of non-adjacent DL-equipped nodes at which DL hardware is deployed, and defining a respective multi-section DL path between each identified pair of non-adjacent DL-equipped nodes; and causing the deployed DL hardware to supply DL light to each of the single- and the multi-section DL paths.

An optical network includes an arrangement of optical nodes. An optical node of the arrangement, and corresponding method, perform optical connectivity discovery and negotiation-less optical fiber continuity verification in the optical network. An overall topology of optical connectivity provisioned for the arrangement is discovered by the optical node based on messages received from a management network communicatively coupling the optical nodes to each other. The optical node synchronizes, temporally and sequentially, with the other optical nodes based on the messages received, assigns fiber of the overall topology, based on a verification sequencing method, to verification slots of a verification sequence, and verifies continuity of fiber according to the verification slots of the verification sequence. The discovery, synchronization, and assignment operations enable the optical node and peer node to perform the optical fiber continuity verification in a symmetric, decentralized, and negotiation-less manner.

The present disclosure provides a method for dynamically allocating an optical channel. The method includes receiving a user input request from a user. In addition, the method includes receiving an OLS spectrum data of the optical channel. Further, the method includes computing one or more configuration parameters for a predefined pair of transponders of one or more transponders based on the user input request and the OLS spectrum data. Furthermore, the method includes configuring the one or more configuration parameters on the predefined pair of transponders of the one or more transponders. Moreover, the user is associated with the one or more transponders. The user input request is associated with the predefined pair of transponders of the one or more transponders. The user input request includes parameters for the optical channel allocation on the predefined pair of transponders.

This disclosure describes devices and methods related to multiplexing optical datasignals. A method may be disclosed. The method may comprise receiving, by a dense wave division multiplexer (DWDM), one or more optical data signals. The method may comprise combining, by the DWDM, the one or more optical data signals. The method may comprise outputting, by the DWDM, the combined one or more optical data signals to a first circulator. The method may also comprise combining, by the WDM, the second optical data signal and one or more third signals, and outputting an egress optical data signal to an optical switch. The method may also comprise outputting, by the optical switch, the egress optical data signal on a primary fiber.

This disclosure describes devices and methods related to multiplexing optical data signals. A method may be disclosed. The method may comprise receiving, by a dense wave division multiplexer (DWDM), one or more optical data signals. The method may comprise combining, by the DWDM, the one or more optical data signals. The method may comprise outputting, by the DWDM, the combined one or more optical data signals to a first circulator. The method may also comprise combining, by the WDM, the second optical data signal and one or more third signals, and outputting an egress optical data signal to an optical switch. The method may also comprise outputting, by the optical switch, the egress optical data signal on a primary fiber.