Abstract: An optical communication system includes an optical ring, a hub node, and a plurality of local nodes. The hub node and the plurality of local nodes are coupled to the optical ring. The hub node is capable of receiving traffic over the optical ring from the plurality of local nodes on a transmitting wavelength and of transmitting traffic over the optical ring to the local nodes on a receiving wavelength. The plurality of local nodes are capable of adding traffic to and drop traffic from the optical ring and at least one local node is capable of adding traffic to the optical ring by determining whether any other local node is transmitting at the transmitting wavelength. The local node adding traffic is also capable of transmitting a request message to the hub node requesting use of the transmitting wavelength, in response to determining that no other local node is transmitting at the transmitting wavelength.

Abstract: An optical network includes an optical ring, a plurality of local nodes, and a data center node. The plurality of local nodes are coupled to the optical ring and each local node is capable of receiving traffic from a local client and associating a transmitter tag with the traffic. The transmitter tag identifies a virtual network of the local client. The local node is further capable of transmitting the traffic on the optical ring. The data center node is also coupled to the optical ring and is capable of receiving traffic transmitted by one of the local nodes and determining a receiver tag for the traffic, based on the transmitter tag associated with the traffic and the local node that transmitted the traffic. The data center node is also capable of associating the selected receiver tag with the traffic and transmitting the traffic on the optical ring.