Margin alert for an optical network

A communication system comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• at least one processor that leverages service margin aware thresholds of optical alerts within an optical line system, the at least one processor configured to:
• determine an optical margin for a service provided between a source transponder and a destination transponder through an Optical Line System (OLS), the OLS including a plurality of network elements, and plurality of optical fiber spans connecting the plurality of network elements;
• monitor performance monitors (PMs) and fixed predetermined thresholds to raise a threshold crossing alert (TCA) indicating a monitored performance monitor (PM) has crossed a predetermined fixed threshold;
• determine a Service Margin Aware OLS TCA Threshold (SMAOTT) that is unique to a service or location within the OLS;
• monitor PMs and the determined SMOATT at a network element within the OLS;
• raise a specific TCA associated with a SMAOTT when a monitored PM satisfies the SMAOTT;
• and
• trigger an alert responsive procedure to the specific TCA when the SMAOTT is satisfied to identify the service or location within the OLS associated with the SMAOTT.

A communication system comprising:

• at least one network element;
• and
• a controller configured to leveraging service margin aware thresholds of optical alerts within an optical line system, the controller
• determines an optical margin for a service provided between a source transponder and a destination transponder through an Optical Line System (OLS) including the at least one network element;
• determine a Service Margin Aware OLS TCA Threshold (SMAOTT) that is unique to a service or location within the OLS;
• monitor PMs and the determined SMOATT at at least one network element within the OLS;
• raise a specific TCA associated with a SMAOTT when a monitored PM satisfies the SMAOTT;
• and
• trigger an alert responsive procedure to the specific TCA when the SMAOTT is satisfied to identify the service or location within the OLS associated with the SMAOTT.