Systems and Methods for Ethernet-Based Management of Optical Networks Using Omci

1. An optical network, comprising: an optical line terminal (OLT); and a plurality of optical network terminals (ONTs) coupled to the OLT via a plurality of optical fibers and configured to communicate with the OLT via ONT management and control interface (OMCI) over Ethernet packets, wherein each of the ONTs is configured to use a virtual local area network (VLAN) shared among the ONTs for registration with the OLT, wherein one of the ONTs is configured to transmit to the OLT via the shared VLAN an OMCI over Ethernet packet for registering the one ONT with the OLT, wherein the OLT is configured to assign a management VLAN to the one ONT in response to the OMCI over Ethernet packet for registering the one ONT with the OLT, and wherein the OLT is configured to transmit at least one of the OMCI over Ethernet packets to the one ONT via the management VLAN.

2. The network of claim 1 , wherein the management VLAN is dedicated for management traffic for the one ONT.

3. The network of claim 1 , wherein the OLT is configured to transmit via the shared VLAN an OMCI over Ethernet packet comprising a VLAN tag identifying the management VLAN.

4. The network of claim 3 , wherein the OLT is configured to assign to the one ONT a VLAN for a data service supported by the one ONT, and wherein the OLT is configured to transmit via the management VLAN an OMCI over Ethernet packet comprising a VLAN tag identifying the VLAN for the data service.

5. An optical network, comprising: an optical line terminal (OLT); and a plurality of optical network terminals (ONTs) coupled to the OLT via a plurality of optical fibers and configured to communicate with the OLT via ONT management and control interface (OMCI) over Ethernet packets, wherein the OLT is configured to assign a management virtual local area network (management VLAN) to one of the ONTs, wherein the OLT is configured to transmit at least one of the OMCI over Ethernet packets to the one ONT via the management VLAN, wherein the one ONT is configured to attempt registration with the OLT via a plurality of VLANs, and wherein the one ONT is configured to transmit a first OMCI over Ethernet packet for registering with the OLT via a first VLAN and to transmit a second OMCI over Ethernet packet for registering with the OLT via the management VLAN in response to a determination that registration via the first OMCI over Ethernet packet for registering with the OLT was unsuccessful.

6. The network of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the OMCI over Ethernet packets indicates a data rate for the one ONT.

7. The network of claim 6 , wherein the one ONT is configured to transmit across the optical network at the data rate in response to the at least one of the OMCI over Ethernet packets.

8. An optical network, comprising: an optical line terminal (OLT); and a plurality of optical network terminals (ONTs) coupled to the OLT via a plurality of optical fibers and configured to communicate with the OLT via ONT management and control interface (OMCI) over Ethernet packets, wherein each of the ONTs is configured to use a VLAN shared among the ONTs for registration with the OLT, wherein one of the ONTs is configured to transmit to the OLT via the shared VLAN an OMCI over Ethernet packet for registering with the OLT, and wherein the OLT is configured to assign a management VLAN to the one ONT in response to the OMCI over Ethernet packet for registering with the OLT.

9. The network of claim 8 , wherein the shared VLAN is dedicated for management traffic between the OLT and the ONTs.

10. The network of claim 8 , wherein the management VLAN is dedicated for management traffic between the OLT and the one ONT.

11. The network of claim 8 , wherein the OLT is configured to transmit via the shared VLAN an OMCI over Ethernet packet comprising a VLAN tag identifying the management VLAN.

12. The network of claim 11 , wherein the OLT is configured to assign to the one ONT a VLAN for a data service supported by the one ONT, and wherein the OLT is configured to transmit via the management VLAN an OMCI over Ethernet packet comprising a VLAN tag identifying the VLAN for the data service.

13. A method for use in an optical network, comprising: communicating packets between an optical line terminal (OLT) and a plurality of optical network terminals (ONTs) via a plurality of optical fibers, wherein the packets are in accordance with ONT management and control interface (OMCI) over Ethernet; assigning a management virtual local area network (management VLAN) to one of the ONTs; transmitting an Ethernet management packet in accordance with OMCI over Ethernet from the OLT to the one ONT via the management VLAN; registering each of the ONTs with the OLT via a VLAN shared among the ONTs; and transmitting to the OLT from the one ONT via the shared VLAN an OMCI over Ethernet packet for registering the one ONT with the OLT, wherein the assigning is performed in response to the OMCI over Ethernet packet for registering the one ONT with the OLT.

14. A method for use in an optical network, comprising: communicating packets between an optical line terminal (OLT) and a plurality of optical network terminals (ONTs) via a plurality of optical fibers, wherein the packets are in accordance with ONT management and control interface (OMCI) over Ethernet; assigning a management virtual local area network (management VLAN) to one of the ONTs; and transmitting an Ethernet management packet in accordance with OMCI over Ethernet from the OLT to the one ONT via the management VLAN; attempting to register the one ONT with the OLT, the attempting comprising transmitting a first OMCI over Ethernet packet for registering with the OLT via a first VLAN from the one ONT to the OLT; determining that the attempting was unsuccessful; and transmitting a second OMCI over Ethernet packet for registering with the OLT via the management VLAN in response to the determining.

15. An optical network, comprising: an optical line terminal (OLT); and a plurality of optical network terminals (ONTs) coupled to the OLT via a plurality of optical fibers and configured to communicate with the OLT via ONT management and control interface (OMCI) over Ethernet packets, wherein each of the ONTs is configured to use a VLAN shared among the ONTs for registration with the OLT, wherein the OLT is configured to assign a management virtual local area network (management VLAN) to one of the ONTs in response to a message transmitted to the OLT by the one ONT via the shared VLAN, wherein the OLT is configured to transmit at least one of the OMCI over Ethernet packets to the one ONT via the management VLAN, and wherein the OLT and ONT are configured to communicate management information via the management VLAN.

16. The network of claim 15 , wherein the message comprises an OMCI over Ethernet packet for registering with the OLT.

17. The network of claim 15 , wherein the one ONT and the OLT are configured to communicate via the management VLAN for assigning at least one VLAN for data services to the one ONT.

18. An optical network, comprising: an optical line terminal (OLT); and a plurality of optical network terminals (ONTs) coupled to the OLT via a plurality of optical fibers and configured to communicate with the OLT via ONT management and control interface (OMCI) over Ethernet packets, wherein each of the ONTs is configured to use a VLAN shared among the ONTs for registration with the OLT, wherein one of the ONTs is configured to transmit a message to the OLT via the shared VLAN, and wherein the OLT is configured to assign a management VLAN to the one ONT in response to the message.

19. The network of claim 18 , wherein the one ONT and the OLT are configured to communicate via the management VLAN for assigning at least one VLAN for data services to the one ONT.