Abstract: This document describes tools that assign packets to a network service. The tools receive a control packet lacking a tag associating the control packet with a network service and assign the control packet to a network service by adding a tag to the control packet. The tools may also receive a tagged data packet on a port and determine that the tag does not match any of a set of network tags associated with the port. Consequently, the tools assign the data packet to a default network service. The tools may also receive a set of conditions for a port and assign data packets received on the port that satisfy one of the conditions to a network service associated with the satisfied condition and data packets that do not satisfy one of the conditions to a default network service.

Abstract: This invention includes tools that prevent forwarding of a packet to a control plane of a packet switch. The tools receive a packet comprising indicia suggesting that the packet be forwarded to a control plane of a packet switch. After receiving the packet, the tools may modify the packet to prevent the packet from being forwarded to the control plane, intercept the packet before it is received by the control plane, or otherwise prevent the packet from being forwarded to the control plane. The tools may also forward the packet from a source port of a packet switch to a destination port of the packet switch without forwarding the packet to the control plane of the packet switch.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for indicating an incoming call on a portable communication device are disclosed. A calling connection indicator is captured from an incoming call. An identified entry is selected from a caller identification list comprising one or more entries, wherein each of the entries is associated with a contact of a user of the portable communication device and includes one or more connection indicators for the contact and a tactile pattern for the contact. The identified entry is selected by matching the calling connection indicator to one of the one or more connection indicators. A tactile pattern is generated for the portable communication device. The tactile pattern includes a predefined tactile pattern associated with the identified entry in the caller identification list or a default tactile pattern if the calling connection indicator does not correlate to any of the connection indicators in the caller identification list.

Abstract: This document describes tools that communicate an operational state of a transport service. The transport service provides connectivity between two or more networks, enabling the networks to exchange packets. The tools detect an operational state of a transport service. After doing so, the tools may convey the operational state of the transport service to at least one of the networks through a user-to-network interface port of a network interface device, send a message to a network interface device requesting that the network interface device convey the operational state to a network connected to the network interface device, or configure a network interface device to communicate the operational state.

Abstract: Packet switch operating methods and packet switches compare a quantity of virtual interfaces associated with a virtual switch to a threshold. If the quantity of virtual interfaces is not greater than the threshold, and the packet switch is configured to learn forwarding fields of packets forwarded by the virtual switch, the methods and switches configure the packet switch to not learn forwarding fields of packets subsequently forwarded by the virtual switch. Other methods and packet switches compare a quantity of virtual interfaces associated with a virtual switch to a threshold. If the quantity of virtual interfaces associated with the virtual switch is not greater than the threshold and the packet switch is configured to learn forwarding fields of packets forwarded by the virtual switch, the methods and packet switches configure the packet switch to not learn forwarding fields of packets subsequently forwarded by the virtual switch.

Abstract: This document describes tools that forward data packets having tags conforming to different formats. In one embodiment, the tools receive a data packet on each of a plurality of ports, each data packet comprising a tag conforming to a different format. The tools relay the data packets to a port capable of transmitting tags conforming to a plurality of formats. In another embodiment, the tools receive a plurality of data packets on a source port comprising a plurality of logical source ports, each of which is associated with a unique tag. At least one data packet is received on each logical source port. Each data packet includes the tag associated with the logical source port on which the data packet is received. The tools map each data packet to one of a plurality of virtual switches based on the logical source port on which the data packet is received.

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: This invention includes tools that prevent forwarding of a packet to a control plane of a packet switch. The tools receive a packet comprising indicia suggesting that the packet be forwarded to a control plane of a packet switch. After receiving the packet, the tools may modify the packet to prevent the packet from being forwarded to the control plane, intercept the packet before it is received by the control plane, or otherwise prevent the packet from being forwarded to the control plane. The tools may also forward the packet from a source port of a packet switch to a destination port of the packet switch without forwarding the packet to the control plane of the packet switch.

Abstract: This invention includes tools that prevent forwarding of a packet to a control plane of a packet switch. The tools receive a packet comprising indicia suggesting that the packet be forwarded to a control plane of a packet switch. After receiving the packet, the tools may modify the packet to prevent the packet from being forwarded to the control plane, intercept the packet before it is received by the control plane, or otherwise prevent the packet from being forwarded to the control plane. The tools may also forward the packet from a source port of a packet switch to a destination port of the packet switch without forwarding the packet to the control plane of the packet switch.

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: This document describes tools that communicate an operational state of a transport service. The transport service provides connectivity between two or more networks, enabling the networks to exchange packets. The tools detect an operational state of a transport service. After doing so, the tools may convey the operational state of the transport service to at least one of the networks through a user-to-network interface port of a network interface device, send a message to a network interface device requesting that the network interface device convey the operational state to a network connected to the network interface device, or configure a network interface device to communicate the operational state.

Abstract: This document describes tools that assign packets to a network service. The tools receive a control packet lacking a tag associating the control packet with a network service and assign the control packet to a network service by adding a tag to the control packet. The tools may also receive a tagged data packet on a port and determine that the tag does not match any of a set of network tags associated with the port. Consequently, the tools assign the data packet to a default network service. The tools may also receive a set of conditions for a port and assign data packets received on the port that satisfy one of the conditions to a network service associated with the satisfied condition and data packets that do not satisfy one of the conditions to a default network service.

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: Methods, systems and computer program products are provided for which associate physical links of a network device to aggregator ports of the network device where there are more physical links of the network device capable of aggregation than aggregator ports of the network device. Physical links are associated with the aggregator ports of the network device based on a session invariant characteristic of the physical links until either all of the aggregator ports of the network device have been associated with physical links or all of the physical links capable of aggregation have been associated with an aggregator port. The remaining physical links are then utilized as single links to the network device irrespective of the physical link's capability to aggregate.

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.

Abstract: When multi-destination traffic is distributed through a host or switch, the decision to distribute each frame is performed by each egress port and not the ingress port. Within a link aggregation group, the multi-destination frame is sent to each of the egress ports within the link aggregation group. Each of such ports will then determine whether it should re-transmit the frame. If not, the frame is discarded.

Abstract: A data processing system and method in a computer network are disclosed for improving performance of a link aggregation system included in the network. Parameters are established which are utilized to determine performance criteria of the link aggregation system. A performance of the link aggregation system is determined by determining the performance criteria. The performance of the link aggregation system changes in response to a flow traffic burden on the link aggregation system changing. The link aggregation system dynamically modifies the parameters in response to the changing performance of the link aggregation system. The link aggregation system is self-tuning and capable of automatically adjusting to a changing flow traffic burden on the link aggregation system.