Abstract: Packets are encapsulated and sent from a service node to an application node for applying one or more Layer-4 to Layer-7 services to the packets, with service-applied packets being returned to the service node. An identification of a virtual private network (VPN) may be carried within a request packet, encapsulating a particular packet, sent by a service node to an application node for applying a service to the particular packet; with the corresponding response packet sent to the service node including an identification of the VPN for use by the service node in forwarding the services-applied packet. Additionally, parameters may be included in a request packet to identify a particular service of a general service to be applied to a particular packet encapsulated in the request packet.

Abstract: Packets are encapsulated and sent from a service node to an application node for applying one or more Layer-4 to Layer-7 services to the packets, with service-applied packets being returned to the service node. An identification of a virtual private network (VPN) may be carried within a request packet, encapsulating a particular packet, sent by a service node to an application node for applying a service to the particular packet; with the corresponding response packet sent to the service node including an identification of the VPN for use by the service node in forwarding the services-applied packet. Additionally, parameters may be included in a request packet to identify a particular service of a general service to be applied to a particular packet encapsulated in the request packet.

Abstract: Packets are encapsulated and sent from a service node to an application node for applying one or more Layer-4 to Layer-7 services to the packets, with service-applied packets being returned to the service node. An identification of a virtual private network (VPN) may be carried within a request packet, encapsulating a particular packet, sent by a service node to an application node for applying a service to the particular packet; with the corresponding response packet sent to the service node including an identification of the VPN for use by the service node node in forwarding the services-applied packet. Additionally, parameters may be included in a request packet to identify a particular service of a general service to be applied to a particular packet encapsulated in the request packet.

Abstract: An application node advertises service(s), using a label distribution protocol, that it offers to other network nodes and a corresponding label to use to identify these services(s). For example, a Targeted Label Distribution Protocol (tLDP) session may be established between a packet switching device and the application node providing these services to communicate the advertisement. Packets are encapsulated and sent from a service node (e.g., packet switching device) with the corresponding label to have one or more advertised services applied to the packet by an application node (e.g., a packet switching device and/or computing platform such as a Cisco ASR 1000).

Abstract: An application node advertises service(s), using a routing protocol, that it offers to other network nodes. For example, the routing protocol used to advertise service(s) in a Service Provider Network is typically an link-state, Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP), such as, but not limited to, Intermediate System to Intermediate System (IS-IS) or Open Shortest Path First (OSPF). Packets are encapsulated and sent from a service node (e.g., packet switching device) using one or more advertised services applied to a packet by an application node (e.g., a packet switching device and/or computing platform such as a Cisco ASR 1000).

Abstract: Packets are encapsulated and sent from a service node to one or more application nodes for applying one or more Layer-4 to Layer-7 services to the packets. Before which for a packet, the service node performs a lookup operation based on a destination address of the packet in a routing data structure derived from a exterior network protocol, such as, but not limited to Border Gateway Protocol (BGP). This lookup operation results in the identification of a next hop packet switching device to which the packet would be sent from the service node. The service node includes this identification of the next hop address in the request packet sent to the application node(s). After the service(s) are applied to the packet, an application node will send the services-applied packet to this next hop address. In this manner, application nodes do not need to run an exterior network protocol. Although, they typically will run an Interior Gateway Protocol for identifying how to forward packets to the next hop address.

Abstract: Packets are encapsulated and sent from a service node (e.g., packet switching device) using one or more services applied to a packet by an application node (e.g., a packet switching device and/or computing platform such as a Cisco ASR 1000) to generate a result, which is used by the service node to process packets of a flow of packets to which the packet belonged. An example of a service applied to a packet is a classification service, such as, but not limited to, using deep packet inspection on the packet to identify a classification result. The service node can, for example, use this classification result to process other packets in a same packet flow, such that all packets of a flow do not need to be, nor typically are, sent to an application node for processing.

Abstract: An application node advertises service(s), using a routing protocol, that it offers to other network nodes. For example, the routing protocol used to advertise service(s) in a Service Provider Network is typically an link-state, Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP), such as, but not limited to, Intermediate System to Intermediate System (IS-IS) or Open Shortest Path First (OSPF). Packets are encapsulated and sent from a service node (e.g., packet switching device) using one or more advertised services applied to a packet by an application node (e.g., a packet switching device and/or computing platform such as a Cisco ASR 1000).

Abstract: An application node advertises service(s), using a label distribution protocol, that it offers to other network nodes and a corresponding label to use to identify these services(s). For example, a Targeted Label Distribution Protocol (tLDP) session may be established between a packet switching device and the application node providing these services to communicate the advertisement. Packets are encapsulated and sent from a service node (e.g., packet switching device) with the corresponding label to have one or more advertised services applied to the packet by an application node (e.g., a packet switching device and/or computing platform such as a Cisco ASR 1000).

Abstract: Packets are encapsulated and sent from a service node to one or more application nodes for applying one or more Layer-4 to Layer-7 services to the packets. Before which for a packet, the service node performs a lookup operation based on a destination address of the packet in a routing data structure derived from a exterior network protocol, such as, but not limited to Border Gateway Protocol (BGP). This lookup operation results in the identification of a next hop packet switching device to which the packet would be sent from the service node. The service node includes this identification of the next hop address in the request packet sent to the application node(s). After the service(s) are applied to the packet, an application node will send the services-applied packet to this next hop address. In this manner, application nodes do not need to run an exterior network protocol. Although, they typically will run an Interior Gateway Protocol for identifying how to forward packets to the next hop address.

Abstract: Packets are encapsulated and sent from a service node (e.g., packet switching device) using one or more services applied to a packet by an application node (e.g., a packet switching device and/or computing platform such as a Cisco ASR 1000) to generate a result, which is used by the service node to process packets of a flow of packets to which the packet belonged. An example of a service applied to a packet is a classification service, such as, but not limited to, using deep packet inspection on the packet to identify a classification result. The service node can, for example, use this classification result to process other packets in a same packet flow, such that all packets of a flow do not need to be, nor typically are, sent to an application node for processing.

Abstract: Packets are encapsulated and sent from a service node to an application node for applying one or more Layer-4 to Layer-7 services to the packets, with service-applied packets being returned to the service node. An identification of a virtual private network (VPN) may be carried within a request packet, encapsulating a particular packet, sent by a service node to an application node for applying a service to the particular packet; with the corresponding response packet sent to the service node including an identification of the VPN for use by the service node node in forwarding the services-applied packet. Additionally, parameters may be included in a request packet to identify a particular service of a general service to be applied to a particular packet encapsulated in the request packet.

Abstract: An apparatus and method to provide a portable networking interface for distributed switching systems. Two Application Program Interfaces (APIs) are defined for communication to a Forwarding Database Distribution Library (FDDL). The FDDL sits between network client applications and the switch device driver in order to provide a uniform interface to the switch device driver. Towers may be added to the FDDL to provide additional functionality specific to certain client applications.

Abstract: An apparatus and method to provide a portable networking interface for distributed switching systems. Two Application Program Interfaces (APIs) are defined for communication to a Forwarding Database Distribution Library (FDDL). The FDDL sits between network client applications and the switch device driver in order to provide a uniform interface to the switch device driver. Towers may be added to the FDDL to provide additional functionality specific to certain client applications.

Abstract: An interface method to provide a portable networking interface for distributed switching systems. Two Application Program Interfaces (APIs) are defined for communication to a Forwarding Database Distribution Library (FDDL). The FDDL sits between network client applications and the switch device driver in order to provide a uniform interface to the switch device driver. Towers may be added to the FDDL to provide additional functionality specific to certain client applications.

Abstract: An apparatus and method to provide a portable networking interface for distributed switching systems. Two Application Program Interfaces (APIs) are defined for communication to a Forwarding Database Distribution Library (FDDL). The FDDL sits between network client applications and the switch device driver in order to provide a uniform interface to the switch device driver. Towers may be added to the FDDL to provide additional functionality specific to certain client applications.

Abstract: To insure connection resiliency two LECs are defined in normal practice in which a lengthy and extensive recovery procedure is enforced in case of an ATM interface failure. In the present invention only one LEC is configured. This LEC is configured to be If the active ATM interface fails, the bridge is not notified of the failure as would normally happen. The LEC associates itself with the alternate ATM and rejoins the ELAN via the alternate ATM interface. The ELAN Join Procedure is one of the LAN Emulation protocols. After the ELAN has rejoined, the LEC automatically re-establishes the previously existing Data Direct VCCs (bi-directional point to point LAN Emulation connection established from one LEC to another) using its LE_ARP (LAN Emulation Address Resolution Protocol) cache entries.

Abstract: A method and system for providing enhanced peer redundancy in an ATM emulated local area network (ELAN) served by a primary LAN emulation server (LES), a peer LAN emulation server, a broadcast and unknown server (BUS), and a LAN emulation configuration server (LECS). An enhanced peer redundancy virtual channel connection (VCC) is established between the primary LES/BUS and the peer LES/BUS. The primary LES/BUS and the peer LES/BUS exchange status messages every two seconds indicating the number of assigned LECs. If the primary has fewer LECs than the peer, the primary yields to the peer as the active LES/BUS. If an enhanced redundancy VCC was not established, the backup LES/BUS provides ELAN services while waiting for the primary to call to establish an enhanced redundancy VCC. If an enhanced peer redundancy VCC cannot be established, the primary attempts to establish a redundancy VCC with the peer in which the peer LES/BUS is kept in a dormant mode as long as the redundancy VCC is present.

Abstract: Provided are a method and system for achieving enhanced performance in communications between a plurality of emulated networks overlaid onto at least one base network, wherein the communications involve one or more source route bridges. The method and system accomplish their objects via the following. Determining when communication is to occur, through the one or more source route bridges, and between at least two entities where a first of the at least two entities is a member of a first emulated network and where a second of the at least two entities is a member of another of the plurality of emulated networks. Informing the at least one of the at least two entities of one or more addresses consonant with the protocols of the at least one base network wherein the one or more addresses identify one or more base network entities closely correspondent to at least one of the at least two entities.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for balanced transmitting of data across a link aggregation of k links in a network, where k is not a power of 2, where data is specified by frames each having a source address and a destination address. N bits of the source address and N bits of the destination address are determined to be XORed together where N is greater than 2. An index table with 2N entry positions is created where each of the entry positions is assigned an index number between 0 and 2N−1. The entry positions of the index table are filled with one link of the k links in each entry position by repetitively entering each of the k links until all of the entry positions are filled. The frames of data with identical source address and destination addresses as other frames of data are grouped into a flow. N bits of the source address are XORed together with N bits of the destination address for each flow to obtain an N bit index number for each flow.