Interworking between variable capacity optical layer and Ethernet/IP/MPLS layer

A method for programming a router and an optical line system to perform steps of:

• determining and configuring an optical line connected to the optical line system to a viable rate;
• configuring a router interface on the router to communicate on the optical line based on the viable rate, wherein a shaper on the router interface is set to the viable rate;
• and
• setting an Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP) link capacity of the router interface equal to the viable rate of the optical line.

A controller comprising:

• an interface to a router and an optical line system;
• one or more processors communicatively coupled to the interface;
• and
• memory comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to
• determine and configure an optical line connected to the optical line system to a viable rate, and
• configure a router interface on the router to communicate on the optical line based on the viable rate, wherein the interface on the router is set to a highest possible Ethernet rate supported and a shaper on the interface is set to the viable rate, wherein the highest possible Ethernet rate is greater than the viable rate.