Independent channel control in coherent optics

A method of independently controlling data channels of an optical multiplexed signal, comprising:

• at a first optical communication device:
• transmitting the optical multiplexed signal to a second optical communication device over an optical link, the optical multiplexed signal multiplexing a first channel provided by a first data interface and one or more additional channels provided by one or more additional data interfaces, wherein the optical multiplexed signal is an optical wavelength division multiplexed signal;
• receiving a disable signal identifying the first channel;
• in response to receiving the disable signal:
• causing an optical transmitter to transmit a remote fault signal to the second optical communication device on the first channel of the optical multiplexed signal;
• disabling the first channel;
• generating a modified optical multiplexed signal multiplexing the one or more additional channels and not the first channel;
• and
• transmitting the modified optical multiplexed signal to the second optical communication device over the optical link.

An optical communication system comprising:

• a first optical communication device comprising:
• a multiplexer configured to generate an optical multiplexed signal multiplexing a first channel and one or more additional channels, wherein the optical multiplexed signal is a wavelength division multiplexed signal;
• an optical transmitter configured to transmit the optical multiplexed signal over an optical link to a second optical communication device;
• and
• a controller configured to:
• receive a disable signal identifying the first channel;
• and
• in response to receiving the disable signal:
• cause the optical transmitter to transmit a remote fault signal to the second optical communication device on the first channel of the optical multiplexed signal;
• disable the first channel;
• cause the multiplexer to generate a modified optical multiplexed signal multiplexing the one or more additional channels and not the first channel;
• and
• cause the optical transmitter to transmit the modified optical multiplexed signal to the second optical communication device over the optical link.