Abstract: A method for providing mobility for Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) transport with session continuity. In one embodiment, the method establishes a communication session between a first communication device and a second communication device using a TCP seamless mobility option (TCP-SMO) connection identifier for identifying the communication session between the first communication device and the second communication device. The method exchanges data between the communication device and the second communication device during the communication session. The method maintains the communication session between the communication device and the second communication device in response to a mobility event using the TCP-SMO connection identifier.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for providing optimal route reflector (ORR) root address assignment to route reflector clients and fast failover capabilities in an autonomous system, including identifying a first node in an autonomous system as a candidate root node of a first routing group, identifying a client node based on a neighbor address used in a first routing protocol, mapping the neighbor address to routing information received from the client node via a second routing protocol, and associating the neighbor address with the first routing group if the routing information includes an identifier of the first routing group. In more specific embodiments, identifying the first node as a candidate root node includes determining the first node and the first routing group are advertised in a first protocol packet, and determining the first node and the second routing group are advertised in a second protocol packet.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving at a network element an encapsulated packet including an encapsulation header, in which the encapsulation header includes an Analytics Proxy Function (“APF”) flag; determining whether the APF flag is set to a first value; if the APF flag is set to the first value, forwarding the encapsulated packet to a local APF instance associated with the network element, in which the encapsulated packet is processed by the local APF instance to replicate at least a portion of the encapsulated packet, construct a record of the encapsulated packet, or both; and if the APF flag is not set to the first value, omitting forwarding the encapsulated packet to the local APF instance associated with the network element. The local APF instance is implemented as a service function anchored at the forwarding element.

Abstract: A method for providing mobility for Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) transport with session continuity. In one embodiment, the method establishes a communication session between a first communication device and a second communication device using a TCP seamless mobility option (TCP-SMO) connection identifier for identifying the communication session between the first communication device and the second communication device. The method exchanges data between the communication device and the second communication device during the communication session. The method maintains the communication session between the communication device and the second communication device in response to a mobility event using the TCP-SMO connection identifier.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for optimized best path selection for optimal route reflection and include configuring, by a cloud-based node, a first cluster of nodes in an autonomous system, and determining whether any paths for a network address prefix are available in the first cluster of nodes. Embodiments also include selecting a best path from one or more paths if the one or more paths are determined to be available in the first cluster for the network address prefix. Embodiments further include advertising the best path to one or more nodes in the first cluster. More specific embodiments include determining, if no paths for the network address prefix are available in the first cluster, another path for the network address prefix is available in a second cluster of nodes of the autonomous system, and selecting the other path as the best path.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for providing optimal route reflector (ORR) root address assignment to route reflector clients and fast failover capabilities in an autonomous system, including identifying a first node in an autonomous system as a candidate root node of a first routing group, identifying a client node based on a neighbor address used in a first routing protocol, mapping the neighbor address to routing information received from the client node via a second routing protocol, and associating the neighbor address with the first routing group if the routing information includes an identifier of the first routing group. In more specific embodiments, identifying the first node as a candidate root node includes determining the first node and the first routing group are advertised in a first protocol packet, and determining the first node and the second routing group are advertised in a second protocol packet.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for providing optimal route reflector (ORR) root address assignment to route reflector clients and fast failover capabilities in an autonomous system, including identifying a first node in an autonomous system as a candidate root node of a first routing group, identifying a client node based on a neighbor address used in a first routing protocol, mapping the neighbor address to routing information received from the client node via a second routing protocol, and associating the neighbor address with the first routing group if the routing information includes an identifier of the first routing group. In more specific embodiments, identifying the first node as a candidate root node includes determining the first node and the first routing group are advertised in a first protocol packet, and determining the first node and the second routing group are advertised in a second protocol packet.

Abstract: A network includes a route reflector peered with client routers. From a perspective of the route reflector, a best path to the destination address is selected by applying to candidate paths ordered comparison tests that progress from policy tests through one or more additional tests until the best path is selected. A determination is made as to whether the best path was selected based on the policy tests exclusively. If the best path was selected based on the policy tests exclusively, the best path is assigned to each of the client routers. If the best path was not selected based on the policy tests exclusively, from a perspective of each client router, a respective best path is selected by applying to the candidate paths the one or more additional tests, and the respective best paths are assigned to the respective client routers.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving at a network element an encapsulated packet including an encapsulation header, in which the encapsulation header includes an Analytics Proxy Function (“APF”) flag; determining whether the APF flag is set to a first value; if the APF flag is set to the first value, forwarding the encapsulated packet to a local APF instance associated with the network element, in which the encapsulated packet is processed by the local APF instance to replicate at least a portion of the encapsulated packet, construct a record of the encapsulated packet, or both; and if the APF flag is not set to the first value, omitting forwarding the encapsulated packet to the local APF instance associated with the network element. The local APF instance is implemented as a service function anchored at the forwarding element.

Abstract: A network includes a route reflector peered with client routers. From a perspective of the route reflector, a best path to the destination address is selected by applying to candidate paths ordered comparison tests that progress from policy tests through one or more additional tests until the best path is selected. A determination is made as to whether the best path was selected based on the policy tests exclusively. If the best path was selected based on the policy tests exclusively, the best path is assigned to each of the client routers. If the best path was not selected based on the policy tests exclusively, from a perspective of each client router, a respective best path is selected by applying to the candidate paths the one or more additional tests, and the respective best paths are assigned to the respective client routers.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for providing optimal route reflector (ORR) root address assignment to route reflector clients and fast failover capabilities in an autonomous system, including identifying a first node in an autonomous system as a candidate root node of a first routing group, identifying a client node based on a neighbor address used in a first routing protocol, mapping the neighbor address to routing information received from the client node via a second routing protocol, and associating the neighbor address with the first routing group if the routing information includes an identifier of the first routing group. In more specific embodiments, identifying the first node as a candidate root node includes determining the first node and the first routing group are advertised in a first protocol packet, and determining the first node and the second routing group are advertised in a second protocol packet.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for optimized best path selection for optimal route reflection and include configuring, by a cloud-based node, a first cluster of nodes in an autonomous system, and determining whether any paths for a network address prefix are available in the first cluster of nodes. Embodiments also include selecting a best path from one or more paths if the one or more paths are determined to be available in the first cluster for the network address prefix. Embodiments further include advertising the best path to one or more nodes in the first cluster. More specific embodiments include determining, if no paths for the network address prefix are available in the first cluster, another path for the network address prefix is available in a second cluster of nodes of the autonomous system, and selecting the other path as the best path.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, performing a defensive procedure involves receiving at a first speaker of a first autonomous system a path advertisement from a second speaker of a second autonomous system. The path advertisement advertises a path from the second speaker of the second autonomous system. It is determined whether the second autonomous system is a stub autonomous system and whether a path length of the path is greater than one. If the second autonomous system is a stub and the path length is greater than one, a defensive measure is performed for the path. Otherwise, a default procedure is performed for the path.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, performing a defensive procedure involves receiving at a first speaker of a first autonomous system a path advertisement from a second speaker of a second autonomous system. The path advertisement advertises a path from the second speaker of the second autonomous system. It is determined whether the second autonomous system is a stub autonomous system and whether a path length of the path is greater than one. If the second autonomous system is a stub and the path length is greater than one, a defensive measure is performed for the path. Otherwise, a default procedure is performed for the path.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for managing a network entity that is initiated by the network entity, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps performed at the network entity of monitoring the network entity; periodically evaluating one or more specified conditions at the managed network entity; when one or more of the specified conditions are satisfied, then gathering specified information from the managed network entity, preparing a message that includes the specified information and the specified conditions that were satisfied, and sending the message to a management point.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for managing a network entity that is initiated by the network entity, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps performed at the network entity of monitoring the network entity; periodically evaluating one or more specified conditions at the managed network entity; when one or more of the specified conditions are satisfied, then gathering specified information from the managed network entity, preparing a message that includes the specified information and the specified conditions that were satisfied, and sending the message to a management point.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for managing a network entity that is initiated by the network entity, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps performed at the network entity of monitoring the network entity; periodically evaluating one or more specified conditions at the managed network entity; when one or more of the specified conditions are satisfied, then gathering specified information from the managed network entity, preparing a message that includes the specified information and the specified conditions that were satisfied, and sending the message to a management point.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for detecting symptoms in a network infrastructure, combining one or more symptoms into a problem, then optionally applying detailed diagnosis to the network elements experiencing the problems, ultimately providing detailed problem determination.

Abstract: A method and system for measuring availability of a high-availability network that includes interconnected routers and switches. One embodiment of the present invention provides a network availability monitoring device that is coupled to the network. In this embodiment, ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) pings are sent from the network availability monitoring device at regular intervals to the leaf nodes only. Network availability is then determined based on the total number of ICMP pings attempted and the total number of ping responses returned. In this way, when a non-leaf node goes down, the network availability monitoring device may not report this as non-availability if leaf nodes are not affected. One embodiment of the present invention employs a rule-based detection algorithm that detects leaf nodes in the network. Areas of the network that share similar geographic, topology or service characteristics may be grouped together as availability groups.