Patent ID: 7242863

Claim:
A method for coordinating channel power information in a wavelength division multiplexed optical communications system having at least a first and a second network element, the method comprising: gathering information on local communications assets local to the first network element including launch path power values and channel information of the plurality of wavelength division multiplexed channels output from the first network element; determining channel weighting values for the plurality of wavelength division multiplexed channels output from the first network element based on the launch path power values and the channel information, wherein at least one of said plurality of channel weighting values is different from the remainder of said plurality of channel weighting values, and wherein the channel weighting value for each of the plurality of wavelength division multiplexed channels is set to a default value responsive to the channel rate and if forward error correction is included, and thereafter the channel weighting value is modified responsive to variable optical attenuator settings; storing the launch path power values, the channel weighting values, and the channel information in a database operatively connected to the first network element; and transmitting the channel weighting values from the first network element to the second network element, and said gathering step accessing the database to gather information on local communications assets local to the first network element.