The introduction of a control plane in deployed networks

Carriers, as well as industry, are moving towards intelligent transmission networks by adding the capability of dynamically requesting bandwidth from a multivendor network. This capability is mainly considered to be a feature of new optical network technology, but it can be also be provided on networks already deployed. The strategy of how to introduce new intelligent features is discussed in detail. Key element of this strategy is an operational true network management system, which becomes the source of intelligence for the existing infrastructure. It provides a seamless integration of a control plane into today's network, with incremental costs.