Resolving control conflicts among trunk protection links

1. A head-end node comprising:

a first line-mux controller and a second line-mux controller,

first actuator components for a first fiber span, and second actuator components for a second fiber span, wherein the first line-mux controller and the second line-mux controller are configured to control the first actuator components and the second actuator components, respectively, and

a trunk protection configured to connect an input to each of the first fiber span and the second fiber span, wherein the first actuator components and the second actuator components are located at the head-end node, between the trunk protection and each of the first fiber span and the second fiber span, wherein the trunk protection is configured to interface same optical signals over either of the first fiber span and the second fiber span, and the first fiber span and the second fiber span have different configurations from one another where the different configurations cause adjustment of the same optical signals for any of gain, shape, tilt, power, and a combination thereof for each of the first fiber span and the second fiber span, respectively.

2. The head-end node of claim 1 , wherein the first line-mux controller and the second line-mux controller are configured to perform control actions on the first actuator components and on the second actuator components independently from one another such that the first actuator components and the second actuator components have the different configurations.

3. The head-end node of claim 1 , wherein the first actuator components and the second actuator components include different actuator components, at the head-end node.

4. The head-end node of claim 1 , wherein the first actuator components and the second actuator components each include one or more of gain actuators, tilt actuators, and loss actuators.

5. The head-end node of claim 1 , wherein the first actuator components and the second actuator components each include one or more of dynamic gain flattening filters, amplifiers, and variable optical attenuators.

6. The head-end node of claim 1 , wherein the first actuator components include more components that the second actuator components.

7. The head-end node of claim 1 , wherein one of the first fiber span and the second fiber span is selected as a primary with the other as a follower, wherein the selection is auto-negotiated based on the first actuator components, the second actuator components, the first fiber span, and the second fiber span.

8. The head-end node of claim 1 , wherein the head-end node is connected to a tail-end node via the first fiber span and the second fiber span, and

wherein the tail-end node includes

a first line-demux controller and a second line-demux controller,

first receive actuator components for the first fiber span, and second receive actuator components for the second fiber span, wherein the first line-demux controller and the second line-demux controller are configured to control the first actuator receive components and the second receive actuator components, respectively, and

a receive trunk protection switch configured to connect an input from each of the first fiber span and the second fiber span to an output.

9. The head-end node of claim 8 , wherein the tail-end node further includes a virtual spectrum monitor at a tail-end node configured to derive measured spectrum from an active link of the first fiber span and the second fiber span.

10. The head-end node of claim 8 , wherein the first line-demux controller and the second line-demux controller are configured to determine an active fiber link based on the receive trunk protection switch configuration, and to compensate for any additional fiber losses compared to the previous active link fiber loss on a protection switch.

11. A tail-end node comprising:

a first line-demux controller and a second line-demux controller,

first receive actuator components for a first fiber span, and second receive actuator components for a second fiber span, wherein the first line-demux controller and the second line-demux controller are configured to control the first actuator receive components and the second receive actuator components, respectively, and

a receive trunk protection switch configured to connect an input from each of the first fiber span and the second fiber span to an output, wherein the first receive actuator components and the second receive actuator components are located at the tail-end node, between the receive trunk protection and each of the first fiber span and the second fiber span, wherein the trunk protection is configured to interface same optical signals over either of the first fiber span and the second fiber span, and the first fiber span and the second fiber span have different configurations from one another where the different configurations cause adjustment of the same optical signals for any of gain, shape, tilt, power, and a combination thereof for each of the first fiber span and the second fiber span, respectively.

12. The tail-end node of claim 11 , further comprising a virtual spectrum monitor at a tail-end node configured to derive measured spectrum from an active link of the first fiber span and the second fiber span.

13. The tail-end node of claim 11 , wherein the first line-demux controller and the second line-demux controller are configured to determine an active fiber link based on the receive trunk protection switch configuration, and to compensate for any additional fiber losses compared to the previous active link fiber loss on a protection switch.

14. The tail-end node of claim 11 , wherein the first line-demux controller and the second line-demux controller are configured to perform control actions on the first receive actuator components and on the second receive actuator components independently from one another such that the first receive actuator components and the receive second actuator components have the different configurations.

15. The tail-end node of claim 11 , wherein the first receive actuator components and the second receive actuator components include different actuator components, at the tail-end node.

16. The tail-end node of claim 11 , wherein the first receive actuator components and the second receive actuator components each include one or more of gain actuators, tilt actuators, and loss actuators.

17. The tail-end node of claim 11 , wherein the first receive actuator components and the second receive actuator components each include one or more of dynamic gain flattening filters, amplifiers, and variable optical attenuators.

18. The tail-end node of claim 11 , wherein the first receive actuator components include more components that the second receive actuator components.

19. The tail-end node of claim 11 , wherein one of the first fiber span and the second fiber span is selected as a primary with the other as a follower, wherein the selection is auto-negotiated based on the first receive actuator components, the second receive actuator components, the first fiber span, and the second fiber span.

20. The tail-end node of claim 11 , wherein the tail-end node is connected to a head-end node via the first fiber span and the second fiber span, and

wherein the head-end node includes

a first line-mux controller and a second line-mux controller,

first actuator components for the first fiber span, and second actuator components for the second fiber span, wherein the first line-mux controller and the second line-mux controller are configured to control the first actuator components and the second actuator components, respectively, and

a trunk protection switch configured to connect an input to each of the first fiber span and the second fiber span.