Optical codes are applied to distinguish different types of information flows in optical networks. The OpMiGua architecture is investigated as a case study. Benefits of the approach are discussed with respect to previously proposed solutions. Core network solutions will need to handle different Quality of Service (QoS) requirements for both today’s and future services, including the ability to transport packets with guaranteed service quality. Solutions to avoid extreme over-provisioning of resources have been proposed such as the hybrid switch architecture, here exemplified by the OpMiGua network architecture. A new method with respect to the original solution to distinguish between two different types of information flows in the optical domain is suggested and qualitatively investigated by introducing a solution based on optical codes.