Patent ID: 8594500

Claim:
A method comprising: outputting, from an optical transmitter of an optical fiber communication site, an optical signal over an optical fiber, via a plurality of manual optical connections within the optical fiber communication site, toward an optical interface with an outside plant fiber connected to the optical fiber communication site; causing the optical signal to propagate through an optical fiber path within the optical fiber communication site and to loop back, at a point beyond which none of the manual optical connections are in the optical fiber path to the optical interface with the outside plant fiber, to an optical receiver of the optical fiber communication site; measuring optical powers of the optical signal, respectively, based on information provided at taps positioned in the optical fiber path between the optical transmitter and the optical receiver; calculating an optical power loss of the optical signal, associated with the optical fiber path within the optical fiber communication site, based on the optical powers measured; determining whether the optical power loss corresponds to an acceptable value or an unacceptable value; responsive to the optical power loss corresponding to the acceptable value, receiving, at a Raman pump of the optical fiber communication site, user input for activating the Raman pump to provide an amplification of the optical signal; and providing, based on the activating of the Raman pump, the amplification of the optical signal for optical transmission of the amplified optical signal via the optical interface to the outside plant fiber.