Methods for configuring an optical link in which a distribution of transmission data rates and line rates are configured for a predetermined amount of optical bandwidth to maximize transmission capacity. In these methods, a controller of an optical network obtains input parameters that include a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for optical signals and an allocated bandwidth of the optical link, further obtains, for each line rate, a mapping of transmission data rates along a frequency spectrum of the allocated bandwidth compatible with the SNR, and generates a channel plan in which a number of traffic modes and a distribution of a plurality of channels in the allocated bandwidth are set to maximize transmission capacity. The plurality of channels is used for transmitting the signals on the optical link. The controller configures at least one optical network element in the optical network to establish the optical link based on the channel plan.

Methods for configuring an optical link in which a distribution of transmission data rates and line rates are configured for a predetermined amount of optical bandwidth to maximize transmission capacity. In these methods, a controller of an optical network obtains input parameters that include a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for optical signals and an allocated bandwidth of the optical link, further obtains, for each line rate, a mapping of transmission data rates along a frequency spectrum of the allocated bandwidth compatible with the SNR, and generates a channel plan in which a number of traffic modes and a distribution of a plurality of channels in the allocated bandwidth are set to maximize transmission capacity. The plurality of channels is used for transmitting the signals on the optical link. The controller configures at least one optical network element in the optical network to establish the optical link based on the channel plan.

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 method for providing a maximum channel capacity per optical channel in an optical wavelength division multiplexing, WDM, transmission system is described. The WDM transmission system includes transceivers using multiple optical channels in a WDM channel grid to transport optical signals modulated with a modulation format with a signal symbol rate, SR, via an optical transmission link, OTL, along an optical path from a transmitting transceiver to a receiving transceiver. A channel capacity of the optical channel is maximized while a calculated channel margin, CM, is maintained above a preset minimal channel margin value.

The present disclosure relates to an NE (90) in a WDM transmission system. The NE (90) according to the present disclosure includes a WSS (901) which allows, in accordance with configurations allocated to a plurality of respective slots, optical signals of the plurality of respective slots to pass, and a WSS control unit (902) which allocates a configuration to each of the plurality of slots. The WSS control unit (902) additionally allocates, if an adjacent slot adjacent to a desired one of the plurality of slots is unused, a configuration for allowing an optical signal to pass through a path the same as that of the desired slot to the adjacent slot.

A method for providing a maximum channel capacity per optical channel in an optical wavelength division multiplexing, WDM, transmission system is described. The WDM transmission system includes transceivers using multiple optical channels in a WDM channel grid to transport optical signals modulated with a modulation format with a signal symbol rate, SR, via an optical transmission link, OTL, along an optical path from a transmitting transceiver to a receiving transceiver. A channel capacity of the optical channel is maximized while a calculated channel margin, CM, is maintained above a preset minimal channel margin value.

Systems and methods for constellation shaping using low rate loss bit-level distribution matchers include receiving blocks of input bits and, for each input block of a predetermined size, assigning a respective codeword of a predetermined output block size. The number of bits of a given bit value in the codeword is dependent on a predetermined target probability distribution. A one-to-one mapping exists between each possible combination of input bits and a codeword for input blocks containing the combination. Some codewords include a number of bits having the given bit value that is different than the predetermined target probability distribution, but an average number of bits having the given bit value in the available codewords meets the predetermined target probability distribution. The disclosed methods result in more available codewords and a lower rate loss than in bit-level distribution matchers with a constant modulus, while achieving similar shaping.

A design method for a quasi-coarse wavelength division multiplexing optical network is provided. A spectral grid of an optical channel has a pre-set fixed bandwidth, and the pre-set fixed bandwidth is at least 200 GHz. A modulation format of the optical channel is adaptively selected according to actual rate requirements and physical channel conditions, thus selecting an optimal modulation format achieve a tradeoff between the total cost of IP router ports and regenerators and the served number of traffic demand. The above technical solution effectively resolves the technical problems in the prior art of high construction costs and low spectral efficiency of elastic optical networks.

Systems and methods for providing a data service through a packet-optical switch in a network include, subsequent to defining a loop-free forwarding topology for the data service in the network, if the packet-optical switch is a degree 2 site for the data service, providing the data service through the packet-optical switch at a Layer 1 protocol bypassing a partitioned packet fabric of the packet-optical switch; and if the packet-optical switch is a degree 3 or more site for the data service with multi-point connectivity, providing the data service through the packet-optical switch at the Layer 1 protocol and at a packet level using the partitioned packet fabric to provide the data service between the multi-point connectivity and to associated OTN connections for each degree of the degree 3 or more site.

There is provided a multi-flow optical transceiver that includes (a) a plurality of wavelength-tunable light sources, (b) a plurality of optical modulation units which modulates light with an input signal, (c) an optical multiplexing/demultiplexing switch which couples light from at least one of the wavelength-tunable light sources to at least one of the optical modulation units with any power, (d) an optical coupling unit which couples a plurality of lights, modulated by a plurality of the optical modulation units, to at least one waveguide, (e) at least one multiple carrier generating unit which generates multiple carries, arranged at equal frequency intervals, from light of the wavelength-tunable light source, and (f) a wavelength separation unit which branches the multiple carriers from the multiple carrier generating unit for each wavelength.