Patent ID: 8818198
Filing Date: 2014-08-26
Classification: H04J

Abstract:
1. A network, comprising: a plurality of network elements operating a control plane via overhead; a plurality of links interconnecting the plurality of network elements; and at least one optical amplifier disposed on at least one of the plurality of links participating in the control plane in a reduced fashion from the plurality of network elements, wherein the at least one optical amplifier operates the control plane in the reduced fashion via a service channel such that the control plane operates on both the overhead between the plurality of network elements and on the service channel associated with the at least one optical amplifier; wherein each of the at least one optical amplifier is configured with a photonic link discovery task, the photonic link discovery task is configured to provide photonic layer data for the at least one optical amplifier and associated links to the control plane, and wherein the photonic layer data is advertised to all of the plurality of network elements via the control plane; and wherein the reduced fashion comprises the at least one optical amplifier operating a reduced control plane protocol stack for link discovery and management that floods routing information only to associated network elements of the plurality of network elements utilizing same control plane messages as the plurality of network elements.