Problem Statement: Information Sharing of Optical Impairments in Monitoring of Multi-Domain All-Optical Paths

In multi-domain all-optical Wavelength Switched Optical Networks (WSONs), end-to-end services may traverse multiple administrative domains operated by different entities. Monitoring such services requires visibility into optical impairments that accumulate across domain boundaries. However, exchanging impairment-related information raises operational, scalability, and confidentiality concerns. Detailed metrics such as attenuation, noise, nonlinear effects, and filtering penalties may be necessary for accurate performance assessment, yet they can expose sensitive topology, equipment, or utilization information. This document describes the problem space associated with sharing optical impairment information across administrative domains for monitoring purposes. It highlights the need to balance operational visibility and confidentiality preservation, and outlines considerations for abstraction, information granularity, and trust relationships among participating operators.