Abstract: An example method includes receiving, by an SD-WAN system, WAN link characterization data for a plurality of WAN links of the SD-WAN system over a time period; and for each site of a plurality of sites of the SD-WAN system, generating, by the SD-WAN system, a local policy for the site, wherein generating the local policy is based on a machine learning model trained with the WAN link characterization data for the plurality of WAN links, and providing the local policy to an SD-WAN edge device of the site.

Abstract: Described herein is a method comprising performing optical character recognition on at least one region of a display screen to determine at least one displayed character; identifying, from the determined at least one displayed character, a monetary value to be dispensed; and in response to identifying the monetary value to be dispensed, causing to be dispensed at least one money item corresponding to the identified monetary value. Further described is a method comprising determining, using at least one money item denominating apparatus, a monetary value of at least one received money item; in response to determining the monetary value, automatically providing at least one simulated user input to the interactive user interface indicative of the determined monetary value.

Abstract: An example method includes receiving, by an SD-WAN system, WAN link characterization data for a plurality of WAN links of the SD-WAN system over a time period; and for each site of a plurality of sites of the SD-WAN system, generating, by the SD-WAN system, a local policy for the site, wherein generating the local policy is based on a machine learning model trained with the WAN link characterization data for the plurality of WAN links, and providing the local policy to an SD-WAN edge device of the site.

Abstract: A router advertises an aggregated service or route that can be evaluated by other routers as a unitary segment rather than as a group of individual links/paths associated with the aggregated service or route. The aggregated service or route can be based on service and topology state information received from one or more other routers and can be advertised with the router as the nexthop for the aggregated service or route. The router can advertise an aggregated metric for the aggregated service or route for use in such evaluation. An aggregated route can be associated with different aggregated metrics for different services.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for routing a plurality of session packets across a network toward a destination modifies each packet to include a sequence number that is different from the sequence number of other packets in the plurality of packets. Accordingly, at this point, each of the plurality of packets is transformed into a corresponding plurality of processed packets. The method also duplicates the plurality of processed packets to produce a corresponding plurality of duplicated packets. Next, the method forwards the plurality of processed packets toward the destination using a first stateful path through the network, and correspondingly forwards the plurality of duplicated packets toward the destination using a second stateful path through the network. In preferred embodiments, the first stateful path is different from the second stateful path. For example, the two paths may be entirely distinct in that they share no common intermediary elements.

Abstract: A router advertises an aggregated service or route that can be evaluated by other routers as a unitary segment rather than as a group of individual links/paths associated with the aggregated service or route. The aggregated service or route can be based on service and topology state information received from one or more other routers and can be advertised with the router as the nexthop for the aggregated service or route. The router can advertise an aggregated metric for the aggregated service or route for use in such evaluation. An aggregated route can be associated with different aggregated metrics for different services.

Abstract: A routing system for routing packets for a route or service comprises a plurality of routers including a source router, wherein the source router is configured to receive, using a service and topology exchange protocol, service and topology state information from a STEP repository for at least one other router based on configured relationships between routers; determine a first path to a destination for a route or service based on the service and topology state information, the first path including an ordered list of successive routers to receive a packet associated with the route or service starting with a first successive router and ending with a destination router; and transmit a packet toward the first successive router with first metadata including a list of at least one remaining router of the ordered list of routers to receive the packet associated with the route or service.

Abstract: An example method includes receiving, by an SD-WAN system, WAN link characterization data for a plurality of WAN links of the SD-WAN system over a time period; and for each site of a plurality of sites of the SD-WAN system, generating, by the SD-WAN system, a local policy for the site, wherein generating the local policy is based on a machine learning model trained with the WAN link characterization data for the plurality of WAN links, and providing the local policy to an SD-WAN edge device of the site.

Abstract: A routing system for distributing multicast routing information for a multicast service includes a plurality of routers including a multicast source router and a plurality of multicast receiver routers, the plurality of routers providing a multicast service, wherein the routers are configured to exchange multicast information associated with the multicast service including identification of multicast sources and the multicast receivers.

Abstract: A method routes packets from a source to a destination across an IP network having a plurality of nodes (including the source and destination), and a plurality of network segments interconnecting the plurality of nodes. The source and destination are configured to use a given service. To those ends, the method receives information relating to the given service, and forms a path between the source and the destination. The path includes a) at least one intermediate node between the source and the destination and b) a plurality of specific network segments extending from the source to the destination. The plurality of specific network segments are a sub-set of the plurality of network segments. To form the path, the method assigns the plurality of specific network segments to the network path between the source and the destination as a function of the information relating to the given service.

Abstract: An example method includes receiving, by an SD-WAN system, WAN link characterization data for a plurality of WAN links of the SD-WAN system over a time period; and for each site of a plurality of sites of the SD-WAN system, generating, by the SD-WAN system, a local policy for the site, wherein generating the local policy is based on a machine learning model trained with the WAN link characterization data for the plurality of WAN links, and providing the local policy to an SD-WAN edge device of the site.

Abstract: An example method includes receiving, by an SD-WAN system, WAN link characterization data for a plurality of WAN links of the SD-WAN system over a time period; and for each site of a plurality of sites of the SD-WAN system, generating, by the SD-WAN system, a local policy for the site, wherein generating the local policy is based on a machine learning model trained with the WAN link characterization data for the plurality of WAN links, and providing the local policy to an SD-WAN edge device of the site.

Abstract: An example method includes receiving, by a software-defined networking in a wide area network (SD-WAN) system having a first WAN link and a second WAN link for an SD-WAN service, WAN link characterization data for the first WAN link over a time period; determining, by the SD-WAN system based on processing the WAN link characterization data for the first WAN link using a machine learning model trained with historical WAN link characterization data for one or more WAN links, an indicator of a predicted performance metric of the first WAN link at a future time; and reassigning, by the SD-WAN system based on the indicator, an application from the first WAN link to the second WAN link.

Abstract: A method and apparatus form and/or define a network topology in a Layer 3 network with a plurality of nodes, where each node has at least one interface. To that end, the method defines a plurality of neighborhoods, and assigns at least one interface of each node to at least one of the neighborhoods. The method also assigns a communication role to each interface so that each communication role is effective relative to one of the plurality of neighborhoods. The method then enables communication between the interfaces of the plurality of nodes as a function of the neighborhoods and the communication roles.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for routing a plurality of session packets across a network toward a destination modifies each packet to include a sequence number that is different from the sequence number of other packets in the plurality of packets. Accordingly, at this point, each of the plurality of packets is transformed into a corresponding plurality of processed packets. The method also duplicates the plurality of processed packets to produce a corresponding plurality of duplicated packets. Next, the method forwards the plurality of processed packets toward the destination using a first stateful path through the network, and correspondingly forwards the plurality of duplicated packets toward the destination using a second stateful path through the network. In preferred embodiments, the first stateful path is different from the second stateful path. For example, the two paths may be entirely distinct in that they share no common intermediary elements.

Abstract: A routing system for implementing a service and topology exchange protocol (STEP) comprises a primary STEP server configured to maintain a STEP repository and a plurality of routers, each router including a STEP client in communication with the primary STEP server. The STEP client of each router is configured to transmit, using the service and topology exchange protocol, service and topology state information for at least one route or service available through the router to the primary STEP server for storage in the STEP repository.

Abstract: A routing system for routing packets for a route or service comprises a plurality of routers including a source router, wherein the source router is configured to receive, using a service and topology exchange protocol, service and topology state information from a STEP repository for at least one other router based on configured relationships between routers; determine a first path to a destination for a route or service based on the service and topology state information, the first path including an ordered list of successive routers to receive a packet associated with the route or service starting with a first successive router and ending with a destination router; and transmit a packet toward the first successive router with first metadata including a list of at least one remaining router of the ordered list of routers to receive the packet associated with the route or service.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for the detection of different states of a session comprising a bidirectional flow of network traffic between client devices so as to enable a network device to apply different network policies to different states of the session. In one example, a computing device identifies multiple states of a session and defines a plurality of network policies. Each network policy defines performance requirements for network traffic during each state of the session. A network device receives the plurality of network policies and determines a state of the session. The network device selects a path based on the performance requirements of the network policy associated with the determined state of the session. The network device forwards traffic associated with the session along the selected path while the session is in the determined state.

Abstract: A routing system for routing packets for a route or service comprises a plurality of routers including a source router, wherein the source router is configured to receive, using a service and topology exchange protocol, service and topology state information from a STEP repository for at least one other router based on configured relationships between routers; determine a first path to a destination for a route or service based on the service and topology state information, the first path including an ordered list of successive routers to receive a packet associated with the route or service starting with a first successive router and ending with a destination router; and transmit a packet toward the first successive router with first metadata including a list of at least one remaining router of the ordered list of routers to receive the packet associated with the route or service.

Abstract: A method routes packets from a source to a destination across an IP network having a plurality of nodes (including the source and destination), and a plurality of network segments interconnecting the plurality of nodes. The source and destination are configured to use a given service. To those ends, the method receives information relating to the given service, and forms a path between the source and the destination. The path includes a) at least one intermediate node between the source and the destination and b) a plurality of specific network segments extending from the source to the destination. The plurality of specific network segments are a sub-set of the plurality of network segments. To form the path, the method assigns the plurality of specific network segments to the network path between the source and the destination as a function of the information relating to the given service.