Example embodiments are in a form of a system, corresponding electronics card (or apparatus), or corresponding method. Some embodiments include a multi-channel optical layer system. According to some embodiments, the system may include a network interface layer, an adapter layer, and an optical function layer. The adapter layer may learn functions and/or corresponding specifications from the function layer. The adapter layer may configure the adapter layer itself to interoperate between the network interface layer and the optical function layer. The adapter layer may provide flexibility in the size of configured functionality. The adapter layer may reduce cost of configuration (or reconfiguration) because functions may be discretized. New markets may be reached because of this reduced cost, as well as due to smaller size configurations (of hardware and software), reduced electronics, reduced power, and improved thermal cooling requirements for lesser-developed network configurations.