Optical fiber interconnect management

Apparatus for establishing optical connection between optical fibers, the apparatus comprising:

• a first array comprising a plurality of slack management units, each having a holding socket for holding an optical end connector which holds an optical end of an optical fiber and is configured to reel in a length of fiber released when the optical end connector is removed from the holding socket;
• a second array comprising a plurality of coupling sockets, each configured to hold an optical end of an optical fiber;
• a partition apron that partitions a volume of space containing the first and second arrays into a fiber occupation zone in which the first array is located and a fiber free zone in which the second array is located, the partition apron formed having a slot that communicates with both the fiber occupation and fiber free zone;
• and
• a grabber configured to grab an optical end connector seated in a holding socket of any slack management units in the first array, move the optical end connector through the slot from the fiber free zone and plug the optical end connector into any coupling socket in the second array to establish an optical connection between the optical fiber connected to the optical end connector, and an optical end of an optical fiber held in the coupling socket so that the released length of fiber resides in the fiber occupation zone.