Abstract: A network component comprising at least one processor configured to implement a method comprising receiving a message comprising a node's data value from the node, determining whether a local data value has been assigned, and adopting the node's data value as the local data value when the local data value has not been assigned. Also disclosed is a network component comprising a plurality of ports each configured to couple to a node via a link, a memory configured to store a port data value associated with at least some of the ports, and a processor coupled to the memory and the ports, wherein the processor is configured to access a node's data value in a message and adopt the node's data value as the port data value.

Abstract: A network comprising a switch configured to switch traffic between a plurality of external interfaces via a plurality of virtual interfaces associated with the external interfaces, and wherein the traffic comprises a plurality of external virtual local area network (VLAN) identifiers (VIDs) associated with the external interfaces to select the virtual interfaces. Also disclosed is a network component comprising at least one processor configured to implement a method comprising receiving a frame from a physical port, obtaining an external VID from a VLAN tag in the frame, removing the VLAN tag from the frame, selecting a virtual interface based on the external VID, and delivering the frame to the selected virtual interface.

Abstract: A method for managing a customer edge device includes: receiving, by a UNI set in a third-party operator network, an E-LMI packet sent by a VUNI set in a service provider network, where the VUNI is configured to manage a RUNI correlated with an EVC in the third-party operator network; converting, by the UNI, a unicast DMAC address in the E-LMI packet into a multicast DMAC address; and sending, by the UNI, the converted E-LMI packet to a CE device connected with the UNI. The E-LMI packet sent by the VUNI set in a service provider network may penetrate the third-party operator network, so that the management information of the service provider network can be transmitted to the CE device that is connected with the third-party operator network through the UNI.

Abstract: A network comprising a switch configured to switch traffic between a plurality of external interfaces via a plurality of virtual interfaces associated with the external interfaces, wherein the traffic comprises a plurality of external virtual local area network (VLAN) identifiers (VIDs) associated with the external interfaces to select the virtual interfaces, and wherein the virtual interfaces are configured to forward traffic based on an internal VID that is assigned to the traffic independent of the external VID. Also disclosed is a network component comprising at least one processor configured to implement a method comprising receiving a frame from a physical port, obtaining an external VID from a VLAN tag in the frame, removing the VLAN tag from the frame, selecting a virtual interface based on the external VID, and delivering the frame to the selected virtual interface.

Abstract: An efficient and user-friendly application service access method utilizing network dynamic conditions and application traffic requirements. This method allows applications to register their servers' location information and traffic requirements with the network and provides an optimal connection to application service without specifying an application server location for an end user and based on network conditions and application requirements.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a first interface configured to transmit or receive backbone traffic, a second interface configured to transmit or receive non-backbone traffic, and a third interface in communication with the first interface and second interface, the third interface configured to multiplex or demultiplex the backbone traffic and the non-backbone traffic is disclosed, wherein the backbone traffic is traffic that will be, is, or has been B-tagged. Also disclosed is a node comprising a processor configured to implement a method comprising receiving a first data stream comprising backbone traffic, receiving a second data stream comprising non-backbone traffic, and multiplexing the first data stream with the second data stream.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising at least one processor configured to implement a method comprising receiving a path computation request comprising at least one path computation constraint, and determining whether there is a path through an optical network that satisfies the path computation constraints. Also disclosed is an apparatus configured to process a data structure comprising a flags field comprising at least one flag having one of an active state or an inactive state, wherein each flag is representative of an optical quality constraint.

Abstract: A system is disclosed, that provides dynamic bandwidth sharing among a plurality of client nodes, which share network link resources in a communication network. Upon receipt of a bandwidth adjustment request from a requesting client node, the system adjusts bandwidth when network link capacity meets the bandwidth adjustment request, or when total amount of bandwidth offered to trade by any peers of the requesting client node meets the bandwidth adjustment request.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a first interface configured to transmit or receive backbone traffic, a second interface configured to transmit or receive non-backbone traffic, and a third interface in communication with the first interface and second interface, the third interface configured to multiplex or demultiplex the backbone traffic and the non-backbone traffic is disclosed, wherein the backbone traffic is traffic that will be, is, or has been B-tagged. Also disclosed is a node comprising a processor configured to implement a method comprising receiving a first data stream comprising backbone traffic, receiving a second data stream comprising non-backbone traffic, and multiplexing the first data stream with the second data stream.

Abstract: A communications network, comprising a plurality of nodes supporting connection-oriented traffic and connectionless traffic, wherein management traffic between the nodes is propagated as connectionless traffic having a unique management traffic Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) identifier (VID), and wherein at least one node is configured to perform a Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) exchange operation to enable detection of inconsistent provisioning of the Management VID in at least one node. Also disclosed is a communications network component, comprising logic that enables connection-oriented traffic and VLAN-based connectionless traffic, wherein the logic propagates management messages as VLAN-based connectionless traffic having a management VID, and wherein the logic enables detection of inconsistent management VIDs in a network.

Abstract: A network component, comprising a memory unit comprising a filtering database (FDB), wherein the FDB comprises a medium access control (MAC) address and a Virtual Local Area Networks (VLAN) Identifier (VID) pair for each of a plurality of end-stations associated with an edge-district partition of a network, wherein the edge-district partition is associated with the network component, and wherein the FDB comprises a wildcard FDB entry corresponding to each VLAN associated with the network component, and a logic unit coupled to the ingress ports and the egress ports, wherein the logic unit is configured to reduce flooding in the edge-district partition of the network; wherein the logic unit is configured to forward a received frame, having a destination MAC address and a VID for which there is not an exact match in the FDB, towards a core-bridge without flooding based on the wildcard entry in the FDB.

Abstract: A network comprising a switch configured to switch traffic between a plurality of external interfaces via a plurality of virtual interfaces associated with the external interfaces, and wherein the traffic comprises a plurality of external virtual local area network (VLAN) identifiers (VIDs) associated with the external interfaces to select the virtual interfaces. Also disclosed is a network component comprising at least one processor configured to implement a method comprising receiving a frame from a physical port, obtaining an external VID from a VLAN tag in the frame, removing the VLAN tag from the frame, selecting a virtual interface based on the external VID, and delivering the frame to the selected virtual interface.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a service network and a plurality of Layer 2 networks at a plurality of different physical locations coupled to the service network via a plurality of edge nodes at the Layer 2 networks, wherein the edge nodes are configured to maintain a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of a plurality of hosts across the Layer 2 networks, and wherein the IP addresses of the hosts in each of the Layer 2 networks are mapped by the other Layer 2 networks to a Media Access Control (MAC) address of each of the edge nodes in the same Layer 2 networks of the hosts.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a plurality of district boundary bridges (DBBs) in a plurality of second network districts configured to couple to a plurality of core bridges in a core network district and to a plurality of end-stations in the second network districts via a plurality of intermediate switches in the second network districts; wherein the core bridges and the DBBs are aware of a plurality of Media Access Control (MAC) addresses of the DBBs but are not aware of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and MAC addresses of the end-stations, and wherein the IP addresses of the end-stations are mapped in a directory service (DS) in the core network district to the MAC addresses of the corresponding DBBs in the corresponding second network districts of the end-stations.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a service network, and a plurality of Layer 2 sites connected by the service network via a plurality of gateways, wherein the gateways are configured to map a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of a plurality of hosts under a plurality of virtual local area networks (VLANs) in a plurality of Layer 2 sites to a plurality of addresses (e.g. MAC or others) of the corresponding gateways inform the other gateways in the other Layer 2 sites of the mapped IP addresses under each of the VLANs in the local Layer 2 sites, and forward data frames originated from the hosts in the local Layer 2 sites to the other gateways in the other Layer 2 sites when the data frames' destinations are residing in the other Layer 2 sites.

Abstract: A network component comprising a receiver configured to receive an outgoing frame from a local host, a logic circuit configured to map a destination address (DA) for a target host in the outgoing frame to a DA for a target location of the target host and encapsulate the outgoing frame using the DA for the target location, and a transmitter configured to receive a pre-encapsulated outgoing frame from a local switch, and send the pre-encapsulated outgoing frame to a gateway at a target location, wherein the transmitter does not encapsulate frames received from local switches and decapsulates an incoming frame from a remote gateway destined towards local hosts.

Abstract: A communications network comprising components configured to implement a method comprising analyzing a path between a first end point and a second end point, and identifying a partial fault along the path is disclosed. Also disclosed is a method for communicating information within a network, the method comprising: defining a path traversing a plurality of nodes, receiving a fault report from an intermediate node, determining whether the fault report affects the path, and responsive to the determination that the fault report affects the path, transmitting the fault report to an upstream or downstream node in the path.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a plurality of ingress ports coupled to a plurality of upstream nodes, the ingress ports having an incoming data rate; and a plurality of egress ports coupled to the ingress ports and an aggregated link comprising a plurality of links, the aggregated link having a bandwidth capacity, wherein at least some of the upstream nodes reduce their data transfer rates to a rate greater than zero when the incoming data rate is greater than or about equal to the aggregated link's bandwidth capacity. Also disclosed is a network component comprising a processor configured to implement a method comprising varying a plurality of transmission rates at a rate greater than zero, wherein the transmission rates correspond to a plurality of nodes that send data over an aggregated link.

Abstract: A method comprising receiving a data frame, encapsulating the received data frame into a reflected frame message (RFM) encapsulated frame, and if the received data frame causes the RFM encapsulated frame to exceed a maximum service data unit size, either the data frame is truncated or the data frame is split into two smaller frames and those two smaller frames are encapsulated by two separate RFM frames, wherein if a truncation flag is set to true, the data frame is truncated and the truncated data frame is encapsulated in one RFM.

Abstract: A network component comprising at least one processor configured to implement a method comprising transparently snooping a path control message comprising a first path identifier, wherein the path control message is sent between a plurality of routers and is not intended for the network component, analyzing a plurality of frames each comprising a second path identifier, and diverting at least some of the frames away from at least one of the routers, wherein the second path identifier in the diverted frames matches the first path identifier. Included is a method comprising configuring a bypass path by snooping a control frame comprising a label switched path (LSP) identifier, and routing a plurality of data frames associated with the LSP identifier to the bypass path without routing any subsequent control frames associated with the LSP identifier to the bypass path.