Abstract: Embodiments providing improved systems and methods deploying, monitoring, and troubleshooting optical physical layer networks are needed. In one embodiment, networks are first constructed in a specialized network factory, where they are racked, provisioned, audited, and tested by relevant experts in each technology. Then the equipment is custom-crated—with all cards, patch cords, labels, and provisioning in place—before being shipped to field locations. A production network health baseline is captured that creates a set of norms that later performance data can be compared against. Once the network is operational, the network health is monitored and compared against the baseline. If there's a deviation sufficient to satisfy a user-defined rule, a remedial action can be triggered. In another embodiment, a method isolates a problem in an optical transport network.