Optical link quality monitoring in a computer network

A node, comprising:

• one or more optical network transmit interfaces adapted to transmit optical signals to a remote network device over a corresponding optical link;
• one or more optical network receive interfaces adapted to receive optical signals from the remote network device over a corresponding optical link;
• one or more processors coupled to the optical network interfaces and adapted to execute one or more processes;
• and
• a memory adapted to store an optical link quality monitoring process executable by each processor, the monitoring process when executed operable to:
• i) collect local optical power information for at least one of either a transmit interface and a receive interface;
• ii) exchange the local information for remote optical power information collected at the remote network device for a corresponding remote interface at an opposing end of a corresponding optical link;
• and iii) calculate an optical power loss of each corresponding optical link based on the local information and exchanged remote information.

An apparatus, comprising:

• means for collecting local optical power information at a local network device for at least one of either a local optical transmit interface and a local optical receive interface of the local network device;
• means for exchanging the local information for remote optical power information of at least one of either a corresponding remote optical receive interface and a remote optical transmit interface of a remote network device at an opposing end of a corresponding optical link;
• and
• means for calculating an optical power loss of each corresponding optical link based on the local information and exchanged remote information.