Patent ID: 8724984

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: an optical cross-connect appliance of an optical layer, wherein the optical cross-connect appliance includes: a plurality of optical interfaces for coupling with a plurality of fibers for transporting information; optical switching equipment for cross-connecting wavelengths of the plurality of fibers, wherein the plurality of fibers includes a first fiber and a second fiber; and a controller configured to: in response to determining an affected wavelength of a plurality of wavelengths communicated on the second fiber whose traffic would be affected by an event to occur in the future that would affect communication on a first wavelength of a plurality of wavelengths communicated on the first fiber based on the current configuration of said optical switching equipment cross-connecting the first wavelength to the affected wavelength on the second fiber, signaling over the second fiber because the affected wavelength is carried on the second fiber and prior to the commencement of the event, identifying that traffic on the affected wavelength was going to be affected; wherein the optical layer refers to an optical network, including the optical cross-connect appliance, providing light paths to optical network client devices.