# US 10,484,239 B2 · Management of pluggable transceivers in a software defined network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,484,239 B2 - Document ID: US10484239B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/480,056 - Filed: 2017-04-05 - Published: 2018-10-11 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2017-04-05 - Assignees: Precision Optical Transceivers Inc. - Applicants: Precision Optical Transceivers INC. - Inventors: Chris Page; Bryce Tennant - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10484239B2 ## CPC - H04L 41/0809: {Plug-and-play configuration} - H04B 10/40: Transceivers - H04L 41/0816: the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events - H04L 41/085: Retrieval of network configuration; Tracking network configuration history - H04L 41/0895: Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## Abstract Automatically configuring a pluggable optical transceiver (POT) in a software defined network (SDN) involves a pluggable optical transceiver configuration management application (POT-CMA) executing in a processing device disposed in an application plane of the SDN. The POT-CMA receives first configuration information of a POT which has been inserted into a network device in an SDN data plane. Responsive to receiving the data, the POT-CMA automatically determines at least one modification or addition to the first configuration information to facilitate use of the POT within the SDN in the first port of the first network device. Thereafter, the POT CMA causes at least one write event to occur at the first network device wherein the at least one modification or addition is written to a memory in the POT. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for automatically configuring a pluggable optical transceiver (POT) in a software defined network (SDN), comprising: executing a pluggable optical transceiver configuration management application (POT-CMA) in at least one processing device disposed in an application plane of the SDN; receiving at the POT-CMA data which comprises first configuration information accessed from a memory location within a POT which has been inserted into a first port of a first network device of a plurality of network devices in an SDN data plane; responsive to receiving the data, automatically determining at least one modification or addition to the first configuration information to facilitate use of the POT within the SDN in the first port of the first network device; and causing at least one write event at the first network device wherein the at least one modification or addition is written to a memory in the POT to define a second configuration information different from the first configuration information. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the second configuration information is utilized by the POT in place of the first configuration information when the POT is operated in the first port of the first network device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the data comprising the first configuration information is obtained in a read event which occurs at the first network device after the POT has been inserted in the first port. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, wherein the read event and the write event are performed under the control of a daemon executing at the first network device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, wherein the read event and a communication of the data to the POT-CMA occur automatically in response to a detected insertion of the POT into the first port of the first network device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the first configuration information involves at least one type of information selected from the group consisting of operational configuration data, operational alarm/warning thresholds, vendor general information and vendor specific information. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6, wherein the POT-CMA accesses a configuration database to determine the at least one modification or addition to the first configuration information. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of network devices includes at least one port into which a POT can be inserted, and the configuration database contents are selected to include correct POT configuration information for the at least one port in each of the plurality of network devices. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining a programming procedure for the POT from among a plurality of programming procedures to facilitate the at least one write event, and causing the write event to proceed at the first network device in accordance with the programming procedure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing at least the second configuration information in a management database which is accessible to a network administrator. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving at the POT-CMA the first configuration information which has been accessed from the memory location, through an SDN controller disposed in a controller plane of the SDN network. ### Claim 12 A software defined network (SDN), comprising: at least one processing device disposed in an application plane of the network and executing a pluggable optical transceiver configuration management application (POT-CMA); a SDN controller disposed in a controller plane of the SDN network; a SDN data plane comprised of a plurality of network devices, each facilitating optical communications in the SDN using at least one pluggable optical transceiver (POT); wherein said at least one processing device is configured to: receive from the SDN controller data comprising first configuration information accessed from an internal memory of a POT, which has been inserted into a first port of a first network device of the plurality of network devices; responsive to receiving the data, automatically determine at least one modification or addition to the first configuration information to facilitate use of the POT in the first network device; and cause at least one write event at the first network device wherein the at least one modification or addition is written to a memory in the POT to define a second configuration information different from the first configuration information. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The SDN according to claim 12, wherein the POT is configured to utilize the second configuration information in place of the first configuration information when the POT is operated in the first port of the first network device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The SDN according to claim 12, wherein the data comprising the first configuration information is obtained in a read event which occurs at the first network device after the POT has been inserted in the first port. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The SDN according to claim 14, further comprising a daemon executing at the first network device and configured to control the read event and the at least one write event. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The SDN according to claim 15, wherein the daemon is configured to perform the read event and a communication of the data to the POT-CMA automatically in response to a detected insertion of the POT into the first port of the first network device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The SDN according to claim 12, wherein the first configuration information comprises at least one type of information selected from the group consisting of operational configuration data, operational alarm/warning thresholds, vendor general information and vendor specific information. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The SDN according to claim 17, further comprising a configuration database in a data storage device accessible to the POT-CMA, wherein the POT-CMA is configured to access the configuration database to determine the at least one modification or addition to the first configuration information. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The SDN according to claim 18, wherein each of the plurality of network devices includes at least one port into which a POT can be inserted, and the configuration database contents comprises correct POT configuration information for the at least one port in each of the plurality of network devices. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The SDN according to claim 12, further wherein the POT-CMA is configured to determine a programming procedure for the POT from among a plurality of programming procedures to facilitate the at least one write event, and for causing the write event to proceed at the first network device in accordance with the programming procedure. ### Claim 21 (depends on 12) The SDN according to claim 12, further comprising a management database in a data storage device accessible to the POT-CMA, wherein the POT-CMA is configured to cause at least the second configuration information to be stored in the management database which is accessible to a network administrator. ### Claim 22 (depends on 12) The SDN according to claim 12, wherein the POT-CMA is configured to receive the first configuration information which has been accessed from the memory location, through an SDN controller disposed in a controller plane of the SDN network.