A system configured to communicate data traffic within a network comprising: a plurality of switches (16, 18) configured to receive and to transmit data traffic within the network, wherein the network comprises a fiber optic pathway bundle providing one or more fiber optic pathways, wherein each of the one or more fiber optic pathways includes a physical layer identifier uniquely identifying the fiber optic pathway; at least one edge grooming switch having one or more ports, each of the one or more edge grooming switch ports includes a physical layer identifier uniquely identifying each edge grooming switch port, the at least one edge grooming switch being operatively connected to the fiber optic pathway bundle, the at least one edge grooming switch configured to receive data traffic on the one or more edge grooming switch ports and to redirect i the traffic onto the one or more fiber optic pathways of the fiber optic pathway bundle; at least one path grooming switch connected to the fiber optic pathway bundle and configured to receive the traffic from the one or more fiber optic pathways and to redirect the traffic to one or more path grooming switch ports, wherein each path grooming switch port includes a physical layer identifier uniquely identifying each path grooming switch port; and a controller configured to control the at least one edge grooming switch, the at least one path grooming switch and the fiber optic pathway bundle for optimizing the one or more fiber optic pathways for the traffic to flow, wherein the controller is adapted to configure the one or more fiber optic pathways into logical bundles that form a connection of a certain speed based on a destination of the traffic received by the at least one edge grooming switch, and wherein the controller during the configuring of the one or more fiber optic pathways, is adapted to identify each path grooming switch port utilizing the path grooming port physical layer identifier, and each edge grooming switch port is adapted to utilize the edge grooming port physical layer identifier and each fiber optic pathway is identified by the pathway physical layer identifier. a plurality of switches (16, 18) configured to receive and to transmit data traffic within the network, wherein the network comprises a fiber optic pathway bundle providing one or more fiber optic pathways, wherein each of the one or more fiber optic pathways includes a physical layer identifier uniquely identifying the fiber optic pathway; at least one edge grooming switch having one or more ports, each of the one or more edge grooming switch ports includes a physical layer identifier uniquely identifying each edge grooming switch port, the at least one edge grooming switch being operatively connected to the fiber optic pathway bundle, the at least one edge grooming switch configured to receive data traffic on the one or more edge grooming switch ports and to redirect i the traffic onto the one or more fiber optic pathways of the fiber optic pathway bundle; at least one path grooming switch connected to the fiber optic pathway bundle and configured to receive the traffic from the one or more fiber optic pathways and to redirect the traffic to one or more path grooming switch ports, wherein each path grooming switch port includes a physical layer identifier uniquely identifying each path grooming switch port; and a controller configured to control the at least one edge grooming switch, the at least one path grooming switch and the fiber optic pathway bundle for optimizing the one or more fiber optic pathways for the traffic to flow, wherein the controller is adapted to configure the one or more fiber optic pathways into logical bundles that form a connection of a certain speed based on a destination of the traffic received by the at least one edge grooming switch, and wherein the controller during the configuring of the one or more fiber optic pathways, is adapted to identify each path grooming switch port utilizing the path grooming port physical layer identifier, and each edge grooming switch port is adapted to utilize the edge grooming port physical layer identifier and each fiber optic pathway is identified by the pathway physical layer identifier.