Supervision of an optical path including an amplifier

An apparatus, comprising:

• a remote optically pumped amplifier (ROPA) configured to amplify a first optical signal of a first optical path configured to propagate the first optical signal in a first direction;
• and
• a set of elements configured to extract a first optical supervisory signal from the first optical path before an input to the ROPA, extract a second optical supervisory signal from the first optical path after an output of the ROPA, and insert the first optical supervisory signal and the second optical supervisory signal into a second optical path configured to propagate a second optical signal in a second direction;
• wherein the set of elements is configured to support a first optical supervisory path configured to propagate the first optical supervisory signal from the first optical path to the second optical path and a second optical supervisory path configured to propagate the second optical supervisory signal from the first optical path to the second optical path, wherein the first optical supervisory path comprises at least one of a coupler, a transmission filter, or a reflector, and the second optical supervisory path comprises at least one of a coupler, a transmission filter, or a reflector.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a remote optically pumped amplifier (ROPA) configured to amplify a first optical signal of a first optical path configured to propagate the first optical signal in a first direction,
• a set of elements configured to extract a first optical supervisory signal from the first optical path before an input to the ROPA, extract a second optical supervisory signal from the first optical path after an output of the ROPA, and insert the first optical supervisory signal and the second optical supervisory signal into a second optical path configured to propagate a second optical signal in a second direction;
• and
• an optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) path coupled from a location on the first optical path after an output of the ROPA to a location on the second optical path, wherein the location on the first optical path is between the output of the ROPA and a point of extraction of the second optical supervisory signal from the first optical path, wherein the location on the second optical path is downstream of a point of insertion of the first optical supervisory signal and the second optical supervisory signal into the second optical path.