diff --git a/core/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/device/impl/OpticalPortOperator.java b/core/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/device/impl/OpticalPortOperator.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9fa452a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/device/impl/OpticalPortOperator.java
@@ -0,0 +1,140 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2014-2015 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.onosproject.net.device.impl;
+
+import static org.slf4j.LoggerFactory.getLogger;
+
+import org.onosproject.incubator.net.config.ConfigOperator;
+import org.onosproject.incubator.net.config.basics.OpticalPortConfig;
+import org.onosproject.net.AnnotationKeys;
+import org.onosproject.net.DefaultAnnotations;
+import org.onosproject.net.PortNumber;
+import org.onosproject.net.SparseAnnotations;
+import org.onosproject.net.device.DefaultPortDescription;
+import org.onosproject.net.device.OchPortDescription;
+import org.onosproject.net.device.OduCltPortDescription;
+import org.onosproject.net.device.OmsPortDescription;
+import org.onosproject.net.device.PortDescription;
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+
+/**
+ * Implementations of merge policies for various sources of optical port
+ * configuration information. This includes applications, provides, and network
+ * configurations.
+ */
+public final class OpticalPortOperator implements ConfigOperator {
+
+    private static final Logger log = getLogger(OpticalPortOperator.class);
+
+    private OpticalPortOperator() {
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Generates a PortDescription containing fields from a PortDescription and
+     * an OpticalPortConfig.
+     *
+     * @param opc the port config entity from network config
+     * @param descr a PortDescription
+     * @return PortDescription based on both sources
+     */
+    public static PortDescription combine(OpticalPortConfig opc, PortDescription descr) {
+        if (opc == null) {
+            return descr;
+        }
+
+        PortNumber port = descr.portNumber();
+        final String name = opc.name();
+        final String numName = opc.numberName();
+        // if the description is null, or the current description port name != config name,
+        // create a new PortNumber.
+        PortNumber newPort = null;
+        if (port == null) {
+            // try to get the portNumber from the numName.
+            if (!numName.isEmpty()) {
+                final long pn = Long.valueOf(numName);
+                newPort = (!name.isEmpty()) ? PortNumber.portNumber(pn, name) : PortNumber.portNumber(pn);
+            } else {
+                // we don't have defining info (a port number value)
+                throw new RuntimeException("Possible misconfig, bailing on handling for: \n\t" + descr);
+            }
+        } else if ((!name.isEmpty()) && !name.equals(port.name())) {
+            final long pn = (numName.isEmpty()) ? port.toLong() : Long.valueOf(numName);
+            newPort = PortNumber.portNumber(pn, name);
+        }
+
+        // Port type won't change unless we're overwriting a port completely.
+        // Watch out for overwrites to avoid class cast craziness.
+        boolean noOwrite = (opc.type() == descr.type()) ? true : false;
+
+        SparseAnnotations sa = combine(opc, descr.annotations());
+        if (noOwrite) {
+            return updateDescription((newPort == null) ? port : newPort, sa, descr);
+        } else {
+            // TODO: must reconstruct a different type of PortDescription.
+            log.info("Type rewrite from {} to {} required", descr.type(), opc.type());
+        }
+        return descr;
+    }
+
+    // updates a port description whose port type has not changed.
+    private static PortDescription updateDescription(
+            PortNumber port, SparseAnnotations sa, PortDescription descr) {
+        switch (descr.type()) {
+            case OMS:
+                OmsPortDescription oms = (OmsPortDescription) descr;
+                return new OmsPortDescription(port, oms.isEnabled(), oms.minFrequency(),
+                        oms.maxFrequency(), oms.grid(), sa);
+            case OCH:
+            // We might need to update lambda below with STATIC_LAMBDA.
+                OchPortDescription och = (OchPortDescription) descr;
+                return new OchPortDescription(port, och.isEnabled(), och.signalType(),
+                        och.isTunable(), och.lambda(), sa);
+            case ODUCLT:
+                OduCltPortDescription odu = (OduCltPortDescription) descr;
+                return new OduCltPortDescription(port, odu.isEnabled(), odu.signalType(), sa);
+            case PACKET:
+            case FIBER:
+                return new DefaultPortDescription(port, descr.isEnabled(), descr.type(),
+                        descr.portSpeed(), sa);
+            default:
+                // this includes copper ports.
+                log.warn("Unsupported optical port type {} - can't update", descr.type());
+                return descr;
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Generates an annotation from an existing annotation and OptcalPortConfig.
+     *
+     * @param opc the port config entity from network config
+     * @param an the annotation
+     * @return annotation combining both sources
+     */
+    public static SparseAnnotations combine(OpticalPortConfig opc, SparseAnnotations an) {
+        DefaultAnnotations.Builder b = DefaultAnnotations.builder();
+        if (!opc.staticPort().isEmpty()) {
+            b.set(AnnotationKeys.STATIC_PORT, opc.staticPort());
+        }
+        if (opc.staticLambda().isPresent()) {
+            b.set(AnnotationKeys.STATIC_LAMBDA, String.valueOf(opc.staticLambda().get()));
+        }
+        // The following may not need to be carried.
+        if (!opc.name().isEmpty()) {
+            b.set(AnnotationKeys.PORT_NAME, opc.name());
+        }
+        return DefaultAnnotations.union(an, b.build());
+    }
+}
diff --git a/core/net/src/test/java/org/onosproject/net/device/impl/OpticalPortOperatorTest.java b/core/net/src/test/java/org/onosproject/net/device/impl/OpticalPortOperatorTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c798be3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/net/src/test/java/org/onosproject/net/device/impl/OpticalPortOperatorTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+package org.onosproject.net.device.impl;
+
+import org.junit.Before;
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.onosproject.incubator.net.config.Config;
+import org.onosproject.incubator.net.config.ConfigApplyDelegate;
+import org.onosproject.incubator.net.config.basics.OpticalPortConfig;
+import org.onosproject.net.AnnotationKeys;
+import org.onosproject.net.ConnectPoint;
+import org.onosproject.net.DefaultAnnotations;
+import org.onosproject.net.DeviceId;
+import org.onosproject.net.OduCltPort;
+import org.onosproject.net.Port;
+import org.onosproject.net.PortNumber;
+import org.onosproject.net.SparseAnnotations;
+import org.onosproject.net.device.OduCltPortDescription;
+
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.node.JsonNodeFactory;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+
+public class OpticalPortOperatorTest {
+    private static final DeviceId DID = DeviceId.deviceId("op-test");
+    private static final String TPNAME = "test-port-100";
+    private static final String SPNAME = "out-port-200";
+    private static final String CFGNAME = "cfg-name";
+
+    private static final PortNumber NAMED = PortNumber.portNumber(100, TPNAME);
+    private static final PortNumber UNNAMED = PortNumber.portNumber(101);
+    private static final ConnectPoint NCP = new ConnectPoint(DID, UNNAMED);
+
+    private static final SparseAnnotations SA = DefaultAnnotations.builder()
+                                                    .set(AnnotationKeys.STATIC_PORT, SPNAME)
+                                                    .build();
+
+    private static final OduCltPortDescription N_DESC = new OduCltPortDescription(
+            NAMED, true, OduCltPort.SignalType.CLT_100GBE, SA);
+    private static final OduCltPortDescription FAULTY = new OduCltPortDescription(
+            null, true, OduCltPort.SignalType.CLT_100GBE);
+
+    private final ConfigApplyDelegate delegate = new MockCfgDelegate();
+    private final ObjectMapper mapper = new ObjectMapper();
+
+    private static final OpticalPortConfig N_OPC = new OpticalPortConfig();
+    private static final OpticalPortConfig UNN_OPC = new OpticalPortConfig();
+
+    @Before
+    public void setUp() {
+        N_OPC.init(NCP, TPNAME, JsonNodeFactory.instance.objectNode(), mapper, delegate);
+        UNN_OPC.init(NCP, TPNAME, JsonNodeFactory.instance.objectNode(), mapper, delegate);
+
+        N_OPC.portName(CFGNAME).portNumberName(101L).portType(Port.Type.ODUCLT).staticLambda(300L);
+        UNN_OPC.portType(Port.Type.ODUCLT);
+    }
+
+    @Test(expected = RuntimeException.class)
+    public void testDescOps() {
+        // port-null desc + opc with port number name
+        OduCltPortDescription res = (OduCltPortDescription) OpticalPortOperator.combine(N_OPC, FAULTY);
+        assertEquals(CFGNAME, res.portNumber().name());
+        // full desc + opc with name
+        assertEquals(TPNAME, N_DESC.portNumber().name());
+        res = (OduCltPortDescription) OpticalPortOperator.combine(N_OPC, N_DESC);
+        long sl = Long.valueOf(res.annotations().value(AnnotationKeys.STATIC_LAMBDA));
+        assertEquals(CFGNAME, res.portNumber().name());
+        assertEquals(300L, sl);
+        // port-null desc + opc without port number name - throws RE
+        res = (OduCltPortDescription) OpticalPortOperator.combine(UNN_OPC, FAULTY);
+    }
+
+    private class MockCfgDelegate implements ConfigApplyDelegate {
+
+        @Override
+        public void onApply(@SuppressWarnings("rawtypes") Config config) {
+            config.apply();
+        }
+
+    }
+}