A management control unit for an optical connection switching apparatus which includes an optical connection switching facility having a plurality of optical input/output ports each of which is composed of a pair of optical input port (1_I, 2_I, ···, N_I) and an optical output port (1_O, 2_O, ···, N_O) and adapted to make a connection between any one of said optical input ports (1_I, 2_I, ···, N_I) and any one of said optical output ports (1_O, 2_O, ···, N_O), with each of a plurality of equipment (r1, r2, ···, rN-n) each having an optical communication-interface being connected to any one of said optical input/output ports (1_I, 2_I, ···, N_I, 1_O, 2_O, ···, N_O), the optical connection switching apparatus being adapted to establish an optical connection between said equipment (r1, r2, ···, rN-n) and being characterized by further comprising: one or more optical transmitting/receiving units (t1_O, t2_O, ···, tn_O, t1_I, t2_I, ···, tn_I) connected to a portion of said optical input/output ports; and a management control section adapted to control said optical connection switching facility to make a connection between said optical input/output port (1_I, 2_I, ···, N_I, 1_O, 2_O, ···, N_O) connected to said optical transmitting/receiving unit (t1_O, t2_O, ···, tn_O, t1_I, t2_I, ···, tn_I) and said optical input/output port connected to said equipment (r1, r2, ···, rN-n) for acquiring and managing information on said equipment (r1, r2, ···, rN-n) through a communication with said equipment (r1, r2, ···, rN-n) through the use of said optical transmitting/receiving unit (t1_O, t2_O, ···, tn_O, t1_I, t2_I, ···, tn_I), wherein said management control section includes an interface scanning unit adapted to control said optical connection switching facility to make connections between said optical input/output ports (1_I, 2_I, ···, N_I, 1_O, 2_O, ···, N_O) connected to said plurality of optical transmitting/receiving units (t1_O, t2_O, ···, tn_O, t1_I, t2_I, ···, tn_I) and the optical input/output port (1_I, 2_I, ···, N_I, 1_O, 2_O, ···, N_O) connected to said equipment (r1, r2, ···, rN-n) in a circulating fashion for acquiring the information on said equipment (r1, r2, ···, rN-n) through the use of said optical transmitting/receiving units (t1_O, t2_O, ···, tn_O, t1_I, t2_I, ···, tn_I). one or more optical transmitting/receiving units (t1_O, t2_O, ···, tn_O, t1_I, t2_I, ···, tn_I) connected to a portion of said optical input/output ports; and a management control section adapted to control said optical connection switching facility to make a connection between said optical input/output port (1_I, 2_I, ···, N_I, 1_O, 2_O, ···, N_O) connected to said optical transmitting/receiving unit (t1_O, t2_O, ···, tn_O, t1_I, t2_I, ···, tn_I) and said optical input/output port connected to said equipment (r1, r2, ···, rN-n) for acquiring and managing information on said equipment (r1, r2, ···, rN-n) through a communication with said equipment (r1, r2, ···, rN-n) through the use of said optical transmitting/receiving unit (t1_O, t2_O, ···, tn_O, t1_I, t2_I, ···, tn_I), wherein said management control section includes an interface scanning unit adapted to control said optical connection switching facility to make connections between said optical input/output ports (1_I, 2_I, ···, N_I, 1_O, 2_O, ···, N_O) connected to said plurality of optical transmitting/receiving units (t1_O, t2_O, ···, tn_O, t1_I, t2_I, ···, tn_I) and the optical input/output port (1_I, 2_I, ···, N_I, 1_O, 2_O, ···, N_O) connected to said equipment (r1, r2, ···, rN-n) in a circulating fashion for acquiring the information on said equipment (r1, r2, ···, rN-n) through the use of said optical transmitting/receiving units (t1_O, t2_O, ···, tn_O, t1_I, t2_I, ···, tn_I).