diff --git a/apps/optical/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/optical/OpticalLinkProvider.java b/apps/optical/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/optical/OpticalLinkProvider.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0f5236d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/optical/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/optical/OpticalLinkProvider.java
@@ -0,0 +1,130 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2014 Open Networking Laboratory
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package org.onlab.onos.optical;
+
+import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Activate;
+import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Component;
+import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Deactivate;
+import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Reference;
+import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.ReferenceCardinality;
+import org.onlab.onos.net.Device;
+import org.onlab.onos.net.Link;
+import org.onlab.onos.net.device.DeviceEvent;
+import org.onlab.onos.net.device.DeviceListener;
+import org.onlab.onos.net.device.DeviceService;
+import org.onlab.onos.net.link.DefaultLinkDescription;
+import org.onlab.onos.net.link.LinkDescription;
+import org.onlab.onos.net.link.LinkEvent;
+import org.onlab.onos.net.link.LinkListener;
+import org.onlab.onos.net.link.LinkProvider;
+import org.onlab.onos.net.link.LinkProviderRegistry;
+import org.onlab.onos.net.link.LinkProviderService;
+import org.onlab.onos.net.link.LinkService;
+import org.onlab.onos.net.provider.AbstractProvider;
+import org.onlab.onos.net.provider.ProviderId;
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
+
+import static org.onlab.onos.net.Link.Type.OPTICAL;
+
+/**
+ * Ancillary provider to activate/deactivate optical links as their respective
+ * devices go online or offline.
+ */
+@Component(immediate = true)
+public class OpticalLinkProvider extends AbstractProvider implements LinkProvider {
+
+    private static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(OpticalLinkProvider.class);
+
+    @Reference(cardinality = ReferenceCardinality.MANDATORY_UNARY)
+    protected LinkProviderRegistry registry;
+
+    @Reference(cardinality = ReferenceCardinality.MANDATORY_UNARY)
+    protected DeviceService deviceService;
+
+    @Reference(cardinality = ReferenceCardinality.MANDATORY_UNARY)
+    protected LinkService linkService;
+
+    private LinkProviderService providerService;
+    private DeviceListener deviceListener = new InternalDeviceListener();
+    private LinkListener linkListener = new InternalLinkListener();
+
+    public OpticalLinkProvider() {
+        super(new ProviderId("optical", "org.onlab.onos.optical"));
+    }
+
+    @Activate
+    protected void activate() {
+        deviceService.addListener(deviceListener);
+        linkService.addListener(linkListener);
+        providerService = registry.register(this);
+        log.info("Started");
+    }
+
+    @Deactivate
+    protected void deactivate() {
+        deviceService.removeListener(deviceListener);
+        linkService.removeListener(linkListener);
+        registry.unregister(this);
+        log.info("Stopped");
+    }
+
+    //Listens to device events and processes their links.
+    private class InternalDeviceListener implements DeviceListener {
+        @Override
+        public void event(DeviceEvent event) {
+            DeviceEvent.Type type = event.type();
+            Device device = event.subject();
+            if (type == DeviceEvent.Type.DEVICE_AVAILABILITY_CHANGED ||
+                    type == DeviceEvent.Type.DEVICE_ADDED ||
+                    type == DeviceEvent.Type.DEVICE_UPDATED) {
+                processLinks(device);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    //Listens to link events and processes the link additions.
+    private class InternalLinkListener implements LinkListener {
+        @Override
+        public void event(LinkEvent event) {
+            if (event.type() == LinkEvent.Type.LINK_ADDED) {
+                Link link = event.subject();
+                if (link.providerId().scheme().equals("cfg")) {
+                    processLink(event.subject());
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private void processLinks(Device device) {
+        for (Link link : linkService.getDeviceLinks(device.id())) {
+            if (link.isDurable() && link.type() == OPTICAL) {
+                processLink(link);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private void processLink(Link link) {
+        boolean active = deviceService.isAvailable(link.src().deviceId()) &&
+                deviceService.isAvailable(link.dst().deviceId());
+        LinkDescription desc = new DefaultLinkDescription(link.src(), link.dst(), OPTICAL);
+        if (active) {
+            providerService.linkDetected(desc);
+        } else {
+            providerService.linkVanished(desc);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/apps/optical/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/optical/cfg/OpticalConfigProvider.java b/apps/optical/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/optical/cfg/OpticalConfigProvider.java
index c73f9be..fd9def1 100644
--- a/apps/optical/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/optical/cfg/OpticalConfigProvider.java
+++ b/apps/optical/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/optical/cfg/OpticalConfigProvider.java
@@ -15,20 +15,6 @@
  */
 package org.onlab.onos.optical.cfg;
 
-import static org.onlab.onos.net.DeviceId.deviceId;
-
-import java.io.File;
-import java.io.IOException;
-import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.Iterator;
-import java.util.List;
-import java.util.Map;
-import java.util.Set;
-
-import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Activate;
-import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Deactivate;
-import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Reference;
-import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.ReferenceCardinality;
 import org.codehaus.jackson.JsonNode;
 import org.codehaus.jackson.JsonParseException;
 import org.codehaus.jackson.annotate.JsonIgnoreProperties;
@@ -56,6 +42,16 @@
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
+import java.io.File;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Iterator;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Set;
+
+import static org.onlab.onos.net.DeviceId.deviceId;
+
 /**
  * OpticalConfigProvider emulates the SB network provider for optical switches,
  * optical links and any other state that needs to be configured for correct network
@@ -75,10 +71,10 @@
             "config/demo-3-roadm-2-ps.json";
     private String configFileName = DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE;
 
-    @Reference(cardinality = ReferenceCardinality.MANDATORY_UNARY)
+//    @Reference(cardinality = ReferenceCardinality.MANDATORY_UNARY)
     protected LinkProviderRegistry linkProviderRegistry;
 
-    @Reference(cardinality = ReferenceCardinality.MANDATORY_UNARY)
+//    @Reference(cardinality = ReferenceCardinality.MANDATORY_UNARY)
     protected DeviceProviderRegistry deviceProviderRegistry;
 
     private static final String OPTICAL_ANNOTATION = "optical.";
@@ -101,7 +97,7 @@
                 ".opticalConfig"));
     }
 
-    @Activate
+//    @Activate
     protected void activate() {
         linkProviderService = linkProviderRegistry.register(this);
         deviceProviderService = deviceProviderRegistry.register(this);
@@ -113,7 +109,7 @@
         publishOpticalConfig();
     }
 
-    @Deactivate
+//    @Deactivate
     protected void deactivate() {
         linkProviderRegistry.unregister(this);
         linkProviderService = null;