Dynamically Reconfiguring An Optical Network Using An Ethernet Switch

In an optical network having a first node and a second node, a method for routing an Ethernet-based data stream to one of the first node and the second node, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving multiple data streams of Ethernet packets through input channels of an Ethernet switch, the multiple data streams including at least a first data stream and a second data stream;
• directing the first data stream to a first output channel of the Ethernet switch based on data contained in the first data stream;
• directing the second data stream to a second output channel of the Ethernet switch based on data contained in the second data stream;
• generating a multiplexed optical signal that includes at least the first data stream in a first wavelength channel and the second data stream in a second wavelength channel;
• and
• receiving the multiplexed optical signal at the first node and outputting one of the first and second data streams at the first node by dropping one of the first and second wavelength channels at the first node.

A method for generating a multiplexed optical signal from data streams of Ethernet packets, comprising the steps of:

• examining header data of each Ethernet packet;
• for each Ethernet packet examined, directing said each Ethernet packet to a first optical transceiver input channel if header data is of a first type and to a second optical transceiver input channel if header data is of a second type;
• and
• multiplexing Ethernet packets received through optical transceiver input channels including the first optical transceiver input channel and the second optical transceiver input channel to generate a multiplexed optical signal,
• wherein each of the optical transceiver input channels correspond to a different wavelength channel.