Abstract: A so-called digital “wrapper” is employed in conjunction with an optical channel client signal payload envelope to carry optical channel associated optical channel overhead. That is, the digital wrapper transports optical channel associated optical channel overhead and other monitoring information. This is realized by adding additional capacity, i.e., bandwidth, to the client signal payload envelope. The additional capacity is added “around” the payload envelope and the client signal floats in the payload envelope. This is effected in such a manner that the digital wrapper is independent of the type of client signal that is being transported on the optical channel. Indeed, as such the optical payload envelope is essentially a client optical signal independent, constant bit-rate channel. Moreover, in addition to the digital wrapper providing capacity for the optical channel overhead, it can also be employed to provide a forward error correction capability.

Abstract: Optical channel overhead information for individual optical channels is transported in a message based channel on an optical supervisory channel. Specifically, this is realized by obtaining performance monitoring, and/or performance measurement, and/or operations, and/or administration, and/or maintenance information, and/or the like for the individual ones of one or more optical channels, formatting the obtained information into a message for each individual optical channel and inserting the resulting message(s) into an optical supervisory channel to be transported on the OTN. In one embodiment of the invention, particular overhead information is formatted into a message and controllably inserted into the optical supervisory channel at a prescribed optical network element to be transported on the OTN.