Ciena Corporation
Systems and methods for managing excess optical capacity and margin in optical networks

Abstract:

A method, a controller, and an optical network element are configured to perform steps of monitoring one or more optical links each formed by optical transceivers which are configured to provide variable capacity via a plurality of modulation formats; based on the monitoring, causing corresponding optical transceivers for the one or more optical links to operate at a first modulation format different from a second modulation format providing excess capacity; and mapping the excess capacity to bandwidth useable by one or more services managed by the one or more of the management system, the management plane, and the control plane.