Abstract: The present disclosure generally discloses improvements in computer performance in communication networks, which may include improvements in computer performance in supporting discovery of ingress provider edge (PE) devices in a communication network using egress peer engineering (EPE) and software defined networking (SDN). The ingress PE devices of a network may have peering relationships with an egress peer link of an egress peer node of the network. The ingress PE devices may be discovered by identifying a set of traffic flows on an egress peer link of an egress peer node, identifying a set of ingress PE devices that have peering relationships with the egress peer node, determining bandwidth usage information, selecting, from the set of ingress PE devices based on the bandwidth usage information, a set of selected ingress PE devices, and initiating a management action for at least one of the selected ingress PE devices.

Abstract: Various exemplary embodiments relate to a provider edge node and a method performed on the node including one or more of the following: storing, in a cache on the node, an association between an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the customer edge device and a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the customer edge device; storing, in a backup memory in the node, a copy of the last-known IP address of the customer edge device; removing the stored association from the cache in response to a cache-clearing event, while maintaining the copy of the last-known IP address in the backup memory; sending an address discovery message, the address discovery message requesting an updated MAC address corresponding to the last-known IP address maintained in the backup memory; and updating the cache to reflect the updated MAC address upon receipt of an additional address update message from the customer edge device.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally discloses improvements in computer performance in communication networks, which may include improvements in computer performance in supporting discovery of ingress provider edge (PE) devices in a communication network using egress peer engineering (EPE) and software defined networking (SDN). The ingress PE devices of a network may have peering relationships with an egress peer link of an egress peer node of the network. The ingress PE devices may be discovered by identifying a set of traffic flows on an egress peer link of an egress peer node, identifying a set of ingress PE devices that have peering relationships with the egress peer node, determining bandwidth usage information, selecting, from the set of ingress PE devices based on the bandwidth usage information, a set of selected ingress PE devices, and initiating a management action for at least one of the selected ingress PE devices.

Abstract: Virtual connection route selection apparatus and techniques are disclosed. At a communication traffic routing apparatus, metric information associated with multiple different routes for a virtual connection, such as a PseudoWire, toward a destination is collected. The metric information may be collected from one or more remote route computation elements capable of computing routes for virtual connections between the routing apparatus and other routing apparatus over an underlying communication system, or during actual establishment of the virtual connections, for example. An initial or re-optimized route for a virtual connection can then be selected at the routing apparatus based on the collected metric information. In some embodiments, although the virtual connection routes are paths computed by Path Computation Elements (PCEs), actual path selection decisions are distributed to routers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating an IPv6 compliant label distribution protocol (LDP) control plane packet at a Label Switched Router (LSR).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for implementing multiple Label Distribution Protocol (LDP) Label Switch Router (LSR) instances sharing a common data plane at a network element or node.

Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for controlling traffic forwarding at a label switched router (LSR) to implement thereby a constrained traffic forwarding application, such as a data plane fate separation between different FEC types.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for implementing multiple Label Distribution Protocol (LDP) Label Switch Router (LSR) instances sharing a common data plane at a network element or node.

Abstract: Virtual connection route selection apparatus and techniques are disclosed. At a communication traffic routing apparatus, metric information associated with multiple different routes for a virtual connection, such as a PseudoWire, toward a destination is collected. The metric information may be collected from one or more remote route computation elements capable of computing routes for virtual connections between the routing apparatus and other routing apparatus over an underlying communication system, or during actual establishment of the virtual connections, for example. An initial or re-optimized route for a virtual connection can then be selected at the routing apparatus based on the collected metric information. In some embodiments, although the virtual connection routes are paths computed by Path Computation Elements (PCEs), actual path selection decisions are distributed to routers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating an IPv6 compliant label distribution protocol (LDP) control plane packet at a Label Switched Router (LSR).

Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for controlling traffic forwarding at a label switched router (LSR) to implement thereby a constrained traffic forwarding application, such as a data plane fate separation between different FEC types.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for implementing multiple Label Distribution Protocol (LDP) Label Switch Router (LSR) instances sharing a common data plane at a network element or node.

Abstract: Virtual connection route selection apparatus and techniques are disclosed. At a communication traffic routing apparatus, metric information associated with multiple different routes for a virtual connection, such as a PseudoWire, toward a destination is collected. The metric information may be collected from one or more remote route computation elements capable of computing routes for virtual connections between the routing apparatus and other routing apparatus over an underlying communication system, or during actual establishment of the virtual connections, for example. An initial or re-optimized route for a virtual connection can then be selected at the routing apparatus based on the collected metric information. In some embodiments, although the virtual connection routes are paths computed by Path Computation Elements (PCEs), actual path selection decisions are distributed to routers.

Abstract: In source routed or hop-by-hop routed protocol communication networks, when congestion is detected at a certain network element, a notification message is sent to nodes. The nodes keep track of congestion condition and generally have knowledge of the congestion, thereby allowing them to make more intelligent routing decisions, i.e., rate controlling messages, routing traffic around congestion, regulating admission at the edge of the network. The intelligent routing decision is based on the congestion condition indicated by a restriction level which is periodically and dynamically updated.

Abstract: A method for testing connectivity of a multi-segment pseudo-wire (“MS-PW”) in a network, the method comprising: sending an echo request message from a first provider edge (“PE”) device to a second provider edge (“PE”) device for a section of the multi-segment pseudo-wire (“MS-PW”) between the first provider edge (“PE”) device and the second provider edge (“PE”) device; the echo request message being identified as such by a control word contained therein; an inner label of the echo request message having a time-to-live (“TTL”) value set to a number of segments in the section; the time-to-live (“TTL”) value for determining whether the control word is to be inspected as it traverses the section; upon the echo request message arriving at the second provider edge (“PE”) device, the second provider edge (“PE”) device recognizing the echo request message as such by inspecting the control word contained therein; and, receiving an echo reply message from the second provider edge (“PE”) device in response to the echo r

Abstract: Various exemplary embodiments relate to a provider edge node and a method performed on the node including one or more of the following: storing, in a cache on the node, an association between an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the customer edge device and a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the customer edge device; storing, in a backup memory in the node, a copy of the last-known IP address of the customer edge device; removing the stored association from the cache in response to a cache-clearing event, while maintaining the copy of the last-known IP address in the backup memory; sending an address discovery message, the address discovery message requesting an updated MAC address corresponding to the last-known IP address maintained in the backup memory; and updating the cache to reflect the updated MAC address upon receipt of an additional address update message from the customer edge device.

Abstract: A method for testing connectivity of a multi-segment pseudo-wire in a packet switched network, the method comprising: (a) sending an echo request message from a first provider edge device to a second provider edge device for a first segment of the multi-segment pseudo-wire between the first provider edge device and the second provider edge device; and, (b) receiving an echo reply message from the second provider edge device in response to the echo request message, the echo reply message: confirming connectivity of the first segment; indicating whether there is a second segment in the multi-segment pseudo-wire between the second provider edge device and a third provider edge device; and, if there is a second segment, including information pertaining to the second segment.

Abstract: Various embodiments are a method for negotiating datapath treatment for traffic sourced from a first communications network over an end-to-end path in respect of a path segment provided for the traffic in a second communications network, the path segment being requested for a first node of the second communications network and being targeted to a second node of the second communications node. The method comprises: for the first node, notifying that a datapath capability for the path segment is one for selection for the second node; communicating datapath capabilities associated with the first node; selecting, for the second node, a datapath capability from the datapath capabilities so communicated; communicating the datapath capability so selected for the second node back to the first node; and wherein the path segment is established using a signaling protocol of the second communications network. Various embodiments are also be implemented in a corresponding communications node.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for scheduling and servicing events using a calendar structure is described. In accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention, a calendar structure is provided to implement work-conserving methods (for example, queuing, such as fair queuing, or, as one specific example, weighted fair queuing (WFQ)). Such a calendar structure preferably provides two slots per tier and uses a temporal pointer based on virtual time. In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a calendar structure is provided to implement shaping of flows of information. Such a calendar structure preferably provides one slot per tier and uses a temporal pointer based on real time. For scheduling, a preferred occurrence time at which an event is preferred to occur is calculated.

Abstract: A method for testing connectivity of a multi-segment pseudo-wire (“MS-PW”) in a network, the method comprising: sending an echo request message from a first provider edge (“PE”) device to a second provider edge (“PE”) device for a section of the multi-segment pseudo-wire (“MS-PW”) between the first provider edge (“PE”) device and the second provider edge (“PE”) device; the echo request message being identified as such by a control word contained therein; an inner label of the echo request message having a time-to-live (“TTL”) value set to a number of segments in the section; the time-to-live (“TTL”) value for determining whether the control word is to be inspected as it traverses the section; upon the echo request message arriving at the second provider edge (“PE”) device, the second provider edge (“PE”) device recognizing the echo request message as such by inspecting the control word contained therein; and, receiving an echo reply message from the second provider edge (“PE”) device in response to the echo r