Software defined networking system, namely optical communication and physical layer infrastructure equipment, products, and systems used in communication networks, namely, containerized equipment of racks, rows, and pods and their interconnects; packet based routing and forwarding devices, namely, routers, packet switches; interconnecting hardware for packet based routing and forwarding devices, namely, patch panels, cross-connects, fiber optic cables; SDN (software defined networking) electronic controllers; SDN electronic controllers having NFV (network function virtualization) functionality, switches, fiber optic switches, fiber optic switches with embedded intelligent connector and cable identifying technology, high density fiber optic switches, high density fiber optic switches with embedded intelligent connector and cable identifying technology, cross-connects being fiber optic cables, fiber optic cross-connects being fiber optic cables, fiber optic cross-connects being fiber optic cables with embedded intelligent connector and cable identifying technology, patch panels, namely, panels supporting networking ports, for housing interconnects of cables, fiber optic patch panels for housing interconnects of fiber optic cables, fiber optic patch panels for housing interconnects of fiber optic cables with embedded intelligent connector and cable identifying technology, routers, fiber optic routers, fiber optic routers with embedded intelligent connector and cable identifying technology, electrical interconnect cables, fiber mesh interconnect cables, network interface cards, network interface cards with embedded intelligent connector and cable identifying technology, computer servers, computer servers with embedded intelligent connector and cable identifying technology, storage devices, namely, computer hardware in the nature of SCSI (small computer system interface)/SAN (storage area network) devices, Fiber Channel devices, Fiber Channel over Ethernet devices, and storage devices with direct connect PCIE (peripheral component interconnect express) interfaces; storage devices, namely, computer hardware in the nature of SCSI/SAN devices, Fiber Channel devices, Fiber Channel over Ethernet devices, and storage devices with direct connect PCIE (peripheral component interconnect express) interfaces, with embedded intelligent connector and cable identifying technology; computer software for monitoring, analyzing, operating, managing and maintaining communication networks, computer software for controlling route flows of data packets in communication networks, fiber optic cables and fiber optic cables with embedded intelligent cable identifying technology, fabrics of intelligent fiber optics and active optical switches, and computer software for remotely configuring and monitoring fabrics of intelligent fiber optics and active optical switches