Orchestration control protocol

An optical network, comprising:

• a fiber optic line;
• a head-end network element comprising a first optical interface coupled to the fiber optic line, a first processor, and a first non-transitory computer readable medium storing first processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the first processor, cause the first processor to:
• transmit, via the first optical interface, a deactivation request downstream on the fiber optic line, the deactivation request identifying one or more passband and being indicative of a request to deactivate the one or more passband on a plurality of optical interfaces of a plurality of network elements connected in series, thereby disabling the plurality of network elements from transporting one or more optical carrier on the one or more passband on the fiber optic line;
• a tail-end network element downstream from the head-end network element on the fiber optic line, the tail-end network element comprising a second optical interface coupled to the fiber optic line, a second processor, and a second non-transitory computer readable medium storing second processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the second processor, cause the second processor to:
• receive, via the second optical interface, the deactivation request from upstream on the fiber optic line;
• and
• deactivate the one or more passband on the second optical interface, thereby disabling the second optical interface from transporting the one or more optical carrier on the one or more passband on the fiber optic line.

An optical network, comprising:

• a fiber optic line;
• and
• a first network element comprising a first optical interface coupled to the fiber optic line, a first processor, and a first non-transitory computer readable medium storing first processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the first processor, cause the first processor to:
• transmit, via the first optical interface, a generic message to a second network element neighboring the first network element on the fiber optic line;
• and
• receive, via the first optical interface, a generic acknowledgment of the generic message from the second network element;
• wherein the second network element comprises a second optical interface coupled to the fiber optic line, a second processor, and a second non-transitory computer readable medium storing second processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the second processor, cause the second processor to:
• receive, via the second optical interface, the generic message from the first network element;
• and
• responsive to receiving the generic message, transmit, via the second optical interface, the generic acknowledgment of the generic message to the first network element.