Client Grooming Interface

12) A provider optical interface apparatus comprising:

• a provider interface within a service provider's network element coupled to a customer interface within a customer's network element, said customer interface for optically conveying one or more optical data plane signals to said provider interface;
• a provider controller within a network element within said service provider's network coupled to a customer controller within said customer's network, wherein said customer controller and said provider controller are managed within said service provider's domain, and wherein said customer's network element is managed at least in part within said customer's domain;
• and
• a customer demarcation control channel for conveying, between said customer controller and said provider controller, information of at least one optical signal parameter, and at least one of a payload signal mapping and/or a signal multiplexing property, said information representative of the respective properties of said one or more optical data plane signals, and wherein said provider controller is configured to control the transmission of said one or more optical data plane signals in accordance with said information, and wherein said customer demarcation control channel is not conterminous with said one or more optical data plane signals at said provider controller.

13) A system for providing optical demarcation within an optical network, comprising:

• a provider interface within a service provider's network element;
• a customer interface within a customer's network element optically coupled to said provider interface for optically conveying one or more optical data plane signals to said provider interface;
• a provider controller within said service provider's network;
• a customer controller within said customer's network element coupled to said provider controller, wherein said customer controller and said provider controller are managed within said service provider's domain, and wherein said customer's network element is managed at least in part within said customer's domain;
• and
• a customer demarcation control channel for conveying, between said customer controller and said provider controller, information of at least one optical signal parameter, and at least one of a payload signal mapping and/or a signal multiplexing property, said information representative of the respective properties of said one or more optical data plane signals, and wherein said provider controller is configured to control the transmission of said one or more optical data plane signals in accordance with said information, and wherein said customer demarcation control channel is not conterminous with said one or more optical data plane signals at said provider controller.

15) A method for controlling transmission within a service provider's optical network of at least one optical data plane signal sent from a customer optical interface within a customer's network element towards a provider optical interface within a service provider's network element, the method comprising:

• sending information of at least one optical signal parameter, and at least one of a payload signal mapping and/or a signal multiplexing property, said information representative of the respective properties of said one or more optical data plane signals, from a customer controller at said customer's network element to a provider controller within said service provider's network via a customer demarcation control channel conveyed there between, wherein said customer's network element is at least partially managed by a customer's domain, and wherein said customer controller and said provider controller are both managed by a service provider's domain;
• receiving said information from said customer demarcation control channel at said provider controller;
• verifying at said provider controller that said information received from said customer demarcation control channel indicates that the values are acceptable value;
• and,
• enabling said at least one optical data plane signal to transit at least a portion of said optical network if said values are acceptable values, or prohibiting said at least one optical data plane signal from transiting at least a portion of said optical network if said values are not acceptable values.

16) A method for controlling transmission within a service provider's optical network of at least one optical data plane signal sent from a customer optical interface within a customer's network element towards a provider optical interface within a service provider's network element, the method comprising:

• sending information of at least one optical signal parameter, and at least one of a payload signal mapping and/or a signal multiplexing property, said information representative of the acceptance criteria for the respective properties of said one or more optical data plane signals, from a provider controller within a service provider's domain to a customer controller at said customer's network element via a customer demarcation control channel conveyed there between, wherein said customer's network element is at least partially managed by a customer's domain, and wherein said customer controller and said provider controller are both managed by said service provider's domain;
• receiving said information at said customer controller;
• verifying at said customer controller whether a value of said at least one optical signal parameter and a value of at least one of a payload signal mapping and/or signal multiplexing property conforms to corresponding said information representing acceptance criteria;
• and,
• enabling said at least one optical data plane signal to transit at least a portion of said optical network if said values are verified as conforming to said information representing acceptance criteria, or prohibiting said at least one optical data plane signal from transiting at least a portion of said optical network if said values are not verified as conforming to said information representing acceptance criteria.