Raman Gain Measurements in Dynamically Controlled Optical Line Systems

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for measuring Raman gain in an optical span, the instructions, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform steps of:

• subsequent to determining a baseline measurement of a first total-power output at an upstream node and a first total-power input at a downstream node, causing a measurement a second total-power output at the upstream node and a second total-power input at the downstream node with one or more Raman pump lasers on;
• and
• determining a measured Raman gain for the optical span by comparing (a) a difference between the first total-power output and the first total-power input to (b) a difference between the second total-power output and the second total-power input.

An apparatus comprising circuitry configured to:

• obtain a baseline measurement of total power under a first set of conditions,
• obtain an updated measurement of total power under a second set of conditions in which one or more Raman pumps are activated, the total power under each of the first and second set of conditions is associated with an optical span, and
• determine a measured Raman gain based on the updated measurement and the baseline measurement.