Method and apparatus to add new system functions to deployed network element using smart transceivers

An optical transceiver usable in a switching device for data communication with other optical transceivers coupled to the switching device, the optical transceiver comprising:

• a transmitter optical subassembly for receiving an electrical signal and converting the received electrical signal into an optical signal;
• a receiver optical subassembly for receiving an optical signal and converting the received optical signal into an electrical signal;
• and
• logic configured to:
• perform monitoring and control functions of the transmitter optical subassembly and the receiver optical subassembly;
• discover the other optical transceivers coupled to a plurality of interfaces of the switching device, based on an exchange of discovery protocol messages;
• and
• add a new functionality to the switching device based on one or more messages between the optical transceiver and the other optical transceivers;
• wherein the discovery protocol messages include:
• a multi-cast discovery message including a destination medium access control (MAC) address and an operating state of the smart transceiver originating the multi-cast discovery message from the optical transceiver to the other optical transceivers coupled to the plurality of interfaces of the switching device;
• and
• a unicast reply message, responsive to the multi-cast discovery message, from the other optical transceivers to the optical transceiver, the unicast reply message being configured to include a source MAC address and an operating state of an optical transceiver replying to the multi-cast discovery message.