Method and device for surveillance of optical connection paths for a transparent optical network

Optical connection path surveillance device for a transparent optical network, including:

• analysis means (80, 81) adapted to detect node signatures carried by an optical signal in transit at a point of said network, each node signature including information uniquely associated with a switching node of said network,
• characterized by the fact that said analysis means include calculation means (81) adapted to determine a number of hops from said detected node signatures and error detection means (81) adapted to compare said number of hops to a predetermined threshold, in order to detect a routing error relating to said optical signal if said threshold is exceeded.

Optical connection path surveillance device for a switching node (32) of a transparent optical network, said switching node including processing means (46, 47) adapted to mark an optical signal with at least one node signature including information uniquely associated with said switching node, at least one optical output (42) adapted to transmit said marked optical signal into said network, at least one optical input (41) adapted to be coupled to an optical line of the network (33), and switching means (43) coupling at least one of said inputs to at least one of said outputs, said surveillance device including analysis means adapted to analyze an optical signal received by said switching node on the upstream side of said processing means in order to detect one or more signatures with which said optical signal is marked, characterized by the fact that:

• said analysis means (50, 55) are adapted to search for said at least one node signature associated with said switching node in order to detect a routing error if said received optical signal is marked by a node signature associated with said switching node on the upstream side of said processing means.