Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling an optical switch via one of a control plane and Software Defined Networking (SDN) include associating one or more managed endpoints with one or more line ports of an optical switch; receiving state information for the one or more managed endpoints over a session associated with one of the control plane and the SDN; and controlling switching of the one or more line ports based on the state information for the one or more managed endpoints. The optical switch is an all-optical device which does not have access to digital signal quality information of associated signals.

Abstract: Systems and methods to control optical signals in a spectrally overlapped, flexible grid spectrum system include receiving measured power within a control bandwidth for an optical signal, wherein the control bandwidth is less than a spectral occupancy of the optical signal and equal to or greater than a resolution bandwidth of a measurement device configured to measure the measured power; and controlling the optical signal based on the measured power and a target power within the control bandwidth. The optical signals can include Nyquist spaced or super Nyquist spaced signals in a media-channel.

Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling an optical switch via one of a control plane and Software Defined Networking (SDN) include associating one or more managed endpoints with one or more line ports of an optical switch; receiving state information for the one or more managed endpoints over a session associated with one of the control plane and the SDN; and controlling switching of the one or more line ports based on the state information for the one or more managed endpoints. The optical switch is an all-optical device which does not have access to digital signal quality information of associated signals.

Abstract: Systems and methods for improving optical restoration time in a network include maintaining a status of wavelength load for a plurality of optical links in the network; utilizing the wavelength load to estimate a restoration time for one or more wavelengths being added to each of the plurality of optical links; and determining one or more restoration paths for the one or more wavelengths in the network and considering a total service restoration time in selecting a path for each of the one or more wavelengths, wherein each of the one or more restoration paths comprises one or more of the plurality of optical links.

Abstract: Spectrum control systems and methods are implemented to minimize power spectral density (PSD) offsets by adjusting gain of optical amplifiers in an optical section. The optical section is a logical boundary from one optical signal access point to a next adjacent optical signal access point. The systems and methods include estimating PSD offset from a given target for a peak channel at each span in the optical section, wherein the estimated PSD offset is divided at each span into two components including a self-introduced offset and an uncompensated offset from upstream; generating, for each span, a separate controller response for the self-introduced offset and the uncompensated offset from upstream; and controlling the gain of the optical amplifiers based on the separate controller response for the self-introduced offset and the uncompensated offset from upstream, for each span.

Abstract: A method for optical dark section conditioning includes determining a section in an optical network is a dark section that includes connected fiber spans that are functional with no traffic carrying channels present thereon; and causing generation of at least one of broadband noise and a signal at a head end of the dark section. An apparatus configured to perform optical dark section conditioning includes logic configured to determine a section in an optical network is a dark section that includes connected fiber spans that are functional with no traffic carrying channels present thereon; and logic configured to cause generation of at least one of broadband noise and a signal at a head end of the dark section.

Abstract: Spectrum control systems and methods are implemented to minimize power spectral density (PSD) offsets by adjusting gain of optical amplifiers in an optical section. The optical section is a logical boundary from one optical signal access point to a next adjacent optical signal access point.

Abstract: A method, a controller, and an optical section include performing an analysis to determine an amount of power offset on any in-service channels in an optical section due to a capacity change with a channel; defining a step size to ensure the capacity change does not exceed an offset limit based on the analysis; performing the capacity change in one or more iterations using the step size to limit the capacity change; and performing an optimization between each of the one or more iterations to adjust amplifier gains in the optical section to compensate for offsets on the in-service channels caused by a previous iteration.

Abstract: A method, an optical node, and an optical network include a power controller configured to bring channels in-service in parallel over multiple cascaded optical nodes quickly, efficiently, and in a non-service affecting manner. The method, node, and network utilize multiple states of a control loop that maintains a stable response in downstream optical nodes as channels are added in parallel. Further, the power controller is configured to operate independently alleviating dependencies on other power controllers and removing the need for coordination between power controllers. The method, node, and network provide efficient turn up of dense wave division multiplexing (DWDM) services which is critical to optical layer functionality including optical layer restoration.

Abstract: A method for optical dark section conditioning includes determining a section in an optical network is a dark section that includes connected fiber spans that are functional with no traffic carrying channels present thereon; and causing generation of at least one of broadband noise and a signal at a head end of the dark section. An apparatus configured to perform optical dark section conditioning includes logic configured to determine a section in an optical network is a dark section that includes connected fiber spans that are functional with no traffic carrying channels present thereon; and logic configured to cause generation of at least one of broadband noise and a signal at a head end of the dark section.

Abstract: A method, an optical node, and an optical network include a power controller configured to bring channels in-service in parallel over multiple cascaded optical nodes quickly, efficiently, and in a non-service affecting manner. The method, node, and network utilize multiple states of a control loop that maintains a stable response in downstream optical nodes as channels are added in parallel. Further, the power controller is configured to operate independently alleviating dependencies on other power controllers and removing the need for coordination between power controllers. The method, node, and network provide efficient turn up of dense wave division multiplexing (DWDM) services which is critical to optical layer functionality including optical layer restoration.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are directed to optical dark section conditioning. An embodiment generates at least one of a broadband noise or signal at the head end of a section for a first module of the section; and operates all other modules of the section in gain control mode.

Abstract: A method, a controller, and an optical section include performing an analysis to determine an amount of power offset on any in-service channels in an optical section due to a capacity change with a channel; defining a step size to ensure the capacity change does not exceed an offset limit based on the analysis; performing the capacity change in one or more iterations using the step size to limit the capacity change; and performing an optimization between each of the one or more iterations to adjust amplifier gains in the optical section to compensate for offsets on the in-service channels caused by a previous iteration.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are directed to optical dark section conditioning. An embodiment generates at least one of a broadband noise or signal at the head end of a section for a first module of the section; and operates all other modules of the section in gain control mode.

Abstract: A method, an optical node, and an optical network include a power controller configured to bring channels in-service in parallel over multiple cascaded optical nodes quickly, efficiently, and in a non-service affecting manner. The method, node, and network utilize multiple states of a control loop that maintains a stable response in downstream optical nodes as channels are added in parallel. Further, the power controller is configured to operate independently alleviating dependencies on other power controllers and removing the need for coordination between power controllers. The method, node, and network provide efficient turn up of dense wave division multiplexing (DWDM) services which is critical to optical layer functionality including optical layer restoration.

Abstract: An optical add/drop multiplexer (OADM) having an Add path for adding optical channel signals input through a plurality of Add ports to an outbound dense wavelength division multiplexed (DWDM) signal, and a Drop path for switching selected channels from an inbound DWDM signal to one or more of a plurality of Drop ports. The OADM has a loopback connection between the Add path and the Drop path. The loopback connection couples a selected loopback channel wavelength from the Add path to the Drop path. The physical connection between a transceiver and the OADM can be verified by connecting the transmitter to an Add port of the OADM and the receiver to a Drop port of the OADM. The OADM is controlled to switch the selected loopback channel wavelength in the Drop path to at least one intended drop port to which the receiver should be connected, and the transmitter is controlled to transmit a predetermined test signal using the loopback channel wavelength.

Abstract: An optical add/drop multiplexer (OADM) having an Add path for adding optical channel signals input through a plurality of Add ports to an outbound dense wavelength division multiplexed (DWDM) signal, and a Drop path for switching selected channels from an inbound DWDM signal to one or more of a plurality of Drop ports. The OADM has a loopback connection between the Add path and the Drop path. The loopback connection couples a selected loopback channel wavelength from the Add path to the Drop path. The physical connection between a transceiver and the OADM can be verified by connecting the transmitter to an Add port of the OADM and the receiver to a Drop port of the OADM. The OADM is controlled to switch the selected loopback channel wavelength in the Drop path to at least one intended drop port to which the receiver should be connected, and the transmitter is controlled to transmit a predetermined test signal using the loopback channel wavelength.