Photonic link information collection and advertisement systems and methods

A method, comprising:

• operating a control plane in a network comprising a first node communicatively coupled to a second node through a photonic link;
• operating at least one optical amplifier on the photonic link in the control plane in a reduced fashion, wherein the control plane operates between the first node and the second node via overhead and between the at least one optical amplifier and the first node and the second node via a service channel;
• determining photonic link data of the photonic link using the at least one optical amplifier;
• and
• providing topology messages through the control plane, the topology messages comprising the photonic link data, wherein the topology messages are sent between the second node, the first node, and all additional nodes in the network with minimal participation of the at least one optical amplifier, and wherein each of the nodes comprise a photonic layer for each of the at least one optical amplifier in both directions of associated links;
• wherein the reduced fashion comprises the at least one optical amplifier operating a reduced control plane protocol stack for link discovery and management that floods routing information only to the first node and the second node utilizing same control plane messages as the first node and the second node.

An optical amplifier controller, comprising:

• a communication interface communicatively coupled to a plurality of components;
• a memory;
• and
• a processor, wherein the communication interface, the memory, and the processor are communicatively coupled;
• wherein the processor is configured to:
• provide operations, administration, maintenance, and provisioning functions for the plurality of components;
• discover link data associated with a photonic link communicatively coupled2 to one or more of the plurality of components;
• process link discovery messages and add the discovered link data;
• communicate the link discovery messages to all network elements associated with a distributed control plane for use while minimally participating in direct peering in the distributed control plane;
• and
• wherein each of the plurality of components comprise a photonic layer for each of at least one associated optical amplifier in both directions of associated links;
• wherein the distributed control plane is operated over a service channel by the optical amplifier and over overhead by Optical Transmission Section terminating network elements;
• wherein minimally participating comprises the optical amplifier controller operating a reduced control plane protocol stack for link discovery and management that floods routing information only to associated Optical Transmission Section terminating network elements utilizing same control plane messages as the network elements.