Method of seamless migration from scaleable OADM to a network switching node

1. A method for seamless migration from a scaleable optical add/drop multiplexer to a network switching node in an optical transport network, comprising:

providing a pre-deployed optical add/drop multiplexer (OADM) at a network node in the optical transport network, the pre-deployed OADM configured to support at least two optical transport lines;

introducing an added optical add/drop multiplexer (OADM) at the network node, the added OADM configured to support at least two optical transport lines; and

interconnecting the pre-deployed OADM to the added OADM using a photonic cross-connect switch, where the photonic cross-connect switch is operable to route optical signals amongst the optical transport lines connected to the pre-deployed OADM and the added OADM;

configuring each of the pre-deployed OADM and the added OADM with at least one upgrade inlet port and at least one upgrade outlet port, such that the photonic cross-connect switch is connected via the upgrade inlet ports and the upgrade outlet ports to the pre-deployed OADM and the added OADM;

receiving an optical multiplexed signal at a first port of the pre-deployed OADM, the optical multiplexed signal having a plurality of data signals embodied therein;

splitting the optical multiplexed signal into a pass-thru multiplexed signal and an outgoing routable multiplexed signal; and

routing the outgoing routable multiplexed signal via an upgrade outlet port to the photonic cross-connect switch.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises routing the pass-thru multiplexed signal through a wavelength selective device to a second port of the pre-deployed OADM, the wavelength selective device being operable at different wavelengths to manipulate optical data signals embodied in the pas-thru multiplexed signal.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprises routing the outgoing routable multiplexed signal via the photonic cross-connect switch to one of the optical transport lines supported by the added OADM.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein routing the outgoing routable multiplexed signal further comprises

receiving the outgoing routable multiplexed signal at an inlet port of the photonic cross-connect switch;

splitting the outgoing routable multiplexed signal into at least two further partitioned multiplexed signals;

separately routing each of the further partitioned multiplexed signals through a wavelength selective device to an outlet port of the photonic cross-connect switch, where the wavelength selective devices are operable at different wavelengths to manipulate optical data signals embodied in the further partitioned multiplexed signals and the outlet ports are connected to the added OADM.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprises amplifying the outgoing routable multiplexed signal prior to splitting the second partitioned multiplexed signal.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the wavelength selective devices of the photonic cross-connect switch cooperatively operate to route the further partitioned multiplexed signals amongst the outlet ports of the photonic cross-connect switch.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprises splitting the optical multiplexed signal into a third local drop multiplexed signal; and routing the third local drop multiplexed signal to a demultiplexer, thereby providing signal drop capability.