Abstract: Systems and methods of coordinating Layer 1 and Layer 2 protection switching include, at a node having a plurality of ports including a first port that is an endpoint of a Layer 1 network and a second port that connects to a Layer 2 network, communicating defects in the Layer 1 network to a local Maintenance End Point (MEP) on the second port and any recovery actions being performed in the Layer 1 network; informing other nodes on the Layer 2 network via the second port of the defects and the recovery actions; and coordinating Layer 2 protection switching in the Layer 2 network based on the defects and based on the recovery actions in the Layer 1 network.

Abstract: A network element operating in an Optical Transport Network (OTN) network and configured to adaptively preconfigure OTN connections includes one or more ports, each port including hardware supporting an Optical channel Transport Unit level k (OTUk) configured to transport an Optical channel Data Unit level k (ODUk) or one or more Optical channel Data Unit level j's (ODUj's), j<k; wherein, when a port of the one or more ports is installed with an idle connection, the port is automatically preconfigured in either a connection mode for the ODUk or a trail termination mode for the one or more ODUj's based on existing OTN connections in the OTN network.

Abstract: A network element operating in an Optical Transport Network (OTN) network and configured to adaptively preconfigure OTN connections includes one or more ports, each port including hardware supporting an Optical channel Transport Unit level k (OTUk) configured to transport an Optical channel Data Unit level k (ODUk) or one or more Optical channel Data Unit level j's (ODUj's), j<k; wherein, when a port of the one or more ports is installed with an idle connection, the port is automatically preconfigured in either a connection mode for the ODUk or a trail termination mode for the one or more ODUj's based on existing OTN connections in the OTN network.