Systems and methods for link discovery and verification technique that
minimize the need for line termination resources that generate and
interpret packets. Of two nodes verifying a link to one another, only one
node need have any line termination capability. The node lacking line
termination capability simply loops back packets generated by the other
node thus verifying the link. Thus, an optical cross-connect can verify
links to a wide variety of node types by employing a single line
termination unit capable of terminating any suitable packet type.
Alternatively, a router can verify connectivity to an optical
cross-connect even when the optical cross-connect lacks any line
termination capability at all. This saves greatly on implementation costs
for optical networks.
