Optical transmission systems including optical amplifiers and methods of use therein

1. An optical system comprising:

at least one transmitter;

at least one receiver; and,

a plurality of optical amplifiers discretely disposed along a an optical pat between the at least one transmitter and the at least one receiver, wherein the optical amplifiers include at least a first optical amplifier having a first maximum gain in a first span in the path, wherein the first span has a first span loss that exceeds the first maximum gain, and at least a second optical amplifier remote from the first optical amplifier in a second span having a second span loss; and

a network management system including computer-readable instructions which, when executed, adjusts gain of the optical amplifiers to provide cumulative gain that substantially compensates for a cumulative loss of the optical path, wherein the second optical amplifier provides gain that substantially compensates for the second span loss and the difference between the first span loss and the first maximum gain.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical amplifiers are spaced at least 10 km apart along the link.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical amplifiers are spaced at least 40 km apart along the link.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first optical amplifiers are distributed Raman amplifiers.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second optical amplifiers include a hybrid distributed Raman amplifiers at least one of a lumped EDFA and a lumped Raman amplifier.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second optical amplifiers include a lumped EDFA.