Abstract: A system for fault recovery in an optical network may include an initial loading equipment (ILE) apparatus configured to supply power to a set of channels over a first communications link of the optical network, the set of channels including data channels and spare channels, and a control system configured to detect an optical power level over the data channels of the first communications link and determine whether a Q-factor corresponding to the data channels of the first communications link is below an error correction threshold, the control system configured to alert the ILE apparatus to adjust its optical power output over the spare channels upwardly based on the determination that the Q-factor is below the error correction threshold to increase the Q-factor.

Abstract: A method of managing fault recovery in a trunk-branched OADM network may include determining that an optical power level over data channels of a first communications link between a first and a second terminal of the branched optical network exceeds an optical power limit. The method may further include increasing optical power sent over spare channels of the first communications link to a first level at which the optical power level over the data channels decreases to a second level below the optical power limit.

Abstract: A method of managing fault recovery in a trunk-branched OADM network may include determining that an optical power level over data channels of a first communications link between a first and a second terminal of the branched optical network exceeds an optical power limit. The method may further include increasing optical power sent over spare channels of the first communications link to a first level at which the optical power level over the data channels decreases to a second level below the optical power limit.