Patent ID: 7633967

Claim:
A line card comprising: an add/drop multiplexer (ADM) configured to add and/or drop optical wavelengths for an optical network; a transponder configured to upconvert signals incoming from a network to optical wavelengths for transmission over the optical network; a muxponder configured to multiplex incoming signals from the transponder into optical wavelengths for transmission over the optical network; a software interface coupled to the ADM, the transponder, and the muxponder that is configured to add or delete additional traffic types or services associated with ADM, the transponder, and the muxponder; cross-connect hardware coupled to the ADM, the transponder, and the muxponder that is configured to provide a switching fabric for ADM, transponder, and muxponder communication; a pluggable interface that is configured to accept a pluggable component configured to be removably coupled to the line card and coupled to the software interface, the pluggable component being configured to provide a client interface or a trunk interface and is further configured to enable client or trunk communication over the optical network; and a plurality of ports coupled to the pluggable component each port being configured to receive a client or trunk signal and to provide the client or trunk signal to the pluggable component.