Abstract: An embodiment method of loop suppression in a layer-two transit network with multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) encapsulation includes receiving a packet at a provider edge (PE) router for the layer-two transit network. The packet is stored in a non-transitory memory on the PE router. The packet is stored according to a packet data structure having an MPLS label field and a layer-two header. A time-to-live (TTL) attribute is then determined for the packet. The TTL attribute is written to the non-transitory memory in the MPLS label field. The packet is then routed according to information in the layer-two header.

Abstract: An address resolution method, comprising obtaining an Internet Protocol (IP) address for a destination network node, computing a Media Access Control (MAC) address for the destination network node using a mapping function and the IP address for the destination network node, and sending data traffic using the MAC address computed for the destination network node.

Abstract: A service chaining method comprising receiving a source routed data packet, wherein the source routed data packet comprises a destination address and identifies a plurality of next-hops along a service chain path, identifying a next-hop for the source routed data packet using the plurality of next-hops, determining whether the next-hop is source routing capable, setting the destination address of the source routed data packet in accordance with the determination, wherein the destination address is set to the next-hop when the next-hop is source routing capable, and wherein the destination address is set to a next downstream network node that is source routing capable when the next-hop is not source routing capable, and forwarding the source routed data packet to the next-hop.

Abstract: A method implemented by a hypervisor located in a first network device (ND), the method comprising sending to and receiving from a second ND a first type of packet, wherein each packet of the first type of packet comprises media access control (MAC) layer information of a client; and sending to and receiving from a third ND a second type of packet, wherein each packet of the second type of packet contains no client MAC layer information.

Abstract: There is disclosed a node for routing data packets in a flow. The node generally comprises a receiver which is configured to receive a command to reroute the flow from a first source route to a second source route. The node also includes a processor for determining that a period of time between first and second consecutive data packets of the flow exceeds a threshold value and a transmitter configured to transmit the second data packet on the second source route in response to the determination. Alternatively, the determination of a period of time between first and second consecutive data packets of the flow can be made by a network controller which can instruct a given node to perform the rerouting of the flow in a manner to route only the second and following consecutive data packets along the second source route.

Abstract: Routers using virtual routing and forwarding nodes to implement a service fabric of service chains. The router may configure M+1 virtual routing and forwarding instances, M being an integer representing a number of a plurality of service appliances in a data center network. Each virtual routing and forwarding instance may be associated with a routing table of routing rules to define various service chain routing paths. The routing rules are based on destination addresses in data packets.

Abstract: The devices, systems, and methods test network connectivity, where the physical network is used to provide one or more service chains connecting service appliances, including firewalls, intrusion detection systems, load balancers, network address translators, web servers, and so on. A service chain may involve multiple routing paths. The devices, systems, and methods test network connectivity test network connectivity by injecting customized echo request packets on each routing path and collecting customized echo reply packets in response. The customized echo reply packets are processed and aggregated to isolate network connectivity problems.

Abstract: Traffic engineering vector operations that are capable of being independently solved can provide near-linear scalability through the exploitation of massively parallel processing. Optimization can be performed simultaneously on different paths in a data plane, as well as on different links within the same path (or within the same set of paths). In some embodiments, the traffic engineering vector operations include an adjustable alpha-fairness variable that allows managers to achieve different levels of fairness/throughput. Hence, embodiment alpha fairness techniques provide flexible policy execution, while maintaining excellent scalability for large network implementations.

Abstract: A service description may be used in network virtualization in order to specify requirements of an application. In order to provide network virtualization for generic networking components, including legacy networking components, the service description is mapped to a logical network implementation and then subsequently mapped to a physical implementation.

Abstract: The invention relates to enabling differential forwarding in address-based carrier networks such as Ethernet networks. There is described a method of and connection controller for establishing connections (76, 77) in a frame-based communications network comprising nodes (71-75 and 78) such as Ethernet switches. The connections are established by configuring, in various of the nodes, mappings for forwarding data frames, such as Ethernet frames. The mappings are from a combination of a) a destination (or source) address corresponding to a destination (or source) node (73) of the connection and b) an identifier, such as a VLAN tag. The mappings are to selected output ports of the various nodes. By using the combination of destination (or source) address AND identifier, the mappings enable data frames belonging to different connections (76, 77) to be forwarded differentially (ie forwarded on different output ports) at a node (75) despite the different connections having the same destination node.

Abstract: An embodiment method of loop suppression in a layer-two transit network with multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) encapsulation includes receiving a packet at a provider edge (PE) router for the layer-two transit network. The packet is stored in a non-transitory memory on the PE router. The packet is stored according to a packet data structure having an MPLS label field and a layer-two header. A time-to-live (TTL) attribute is then determined for the packet. The TTL attribute is written to the non-transitory memory in the MPLS label field. The packet is then routed according to information in the layer-two header.

Abstract: There is disclosed a network communication system that includes data sources and of switches. Each of the data sources and switches is interconnected by a packet-switched network, and is synchronized to a common clock. The system also includes a network controller that maintains records of network characteristics including a transmission delay for each of the data sources and switches, and a transmission delay for links in the packet-switched network. The network controller processes the network characteristics to generate, for each of a plurality of packets of a given type of traffic: a path from a particular data source, and through at least one particular switch, and a schedule of departure times at each of the particular data source and the at least one particular switch. The path and the schedule are optimized to meet jitter requirements for the given type of traffic.

Abstract: A method for operating a source node includes receiving a data path validation request command requesting validation of a path associated with a traffic flow identified in the data path validation request command, and determining a first hop sequence in accordance with the path being validated, wherein the first hop sequence is identical to a second hop sequence associated with a non-validation request packet associated with the path being validated. The method also includes generating, by the source node, a validation request packet in accordance with the data path validation request command, the validation request packet comprises route information associated with the first hop sequence, an alert flag set to a specified value, and a path validation header specifying processing performed by nodes receiving the validation request packet, and transmitting, by the source node, the validation request packet in accordance with the route information.

Abstract: A packet forwarding validation method comprising receiving a data packet that comprises a next-hop index and a plurality of next-hop identifiers, wherein the next-hop index references a next-hop identifier from the plurality of next-hop identifiers, and wherein the plurality of next-hop identifiers indicates a sequence of next-hops through a network for the data packet, identifying a previous-hop network node using the next-hop index and the plurality of next-hop identifiers, determining a transmitter network node of the data packet, comparing the previous-hop network node and the transmitter network node, detecting a forwarding error when the previous-hop network node and the transmitter network node are not the same, and processing the data packet when the previous-hop network node and the transmitter network node are the same.

Abstract: A network component including a receiver configured to receive a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses for a plurality of hosts in a plurality of external Layer 2 networks located at a plurality of physical locations and interconnected via a service, a logic circuit configured to map the IP addresses of the hosts in the external Layer 2 networks to a plurality of Media Access Control (MAC) addresses of a plurality of corresponding gateways in the same external Layer 2 networks, and a transmitter configured to send to the external Layer 2 networks a plurality of a plurality of IP addresses for a plurality of local hosts in a local Layer 2 network coupled to the external Layer 2 networks via the service.

Abstract: Shortest-path spanning trees are created outward from each portal on a Rbridge network with nodes on the network being assigned to the spanning trees. For those nodes equidistant to two portals, an election process is used to determine which tree the node should join. To enable routes associated with nodes on the Rbridge network to be distinguished from routes external to the Rbridge network, messages may be transmitted between the portals. The messages enable portals to identify routing updates received from the external network as containing internal routes, so that traffic that is required to pass between nodes on different trees may pass over the Rbridge network rather than over the external network.

Abstract: An embodiment method of loop suppression in a layer-two transit network with multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) encapsulation includes receiving a packet at a provider edge (PE) router for the layer-two transit network. The packet is stored in a non-transitory memory on the PE router. The packet is stored according to a packet data structure having an MPLS label field and a layer-two header. A time-to-live (TTL) attribute is then determined for the packet. The TTL attribute is written to the non-transitory memory in the MPLS label field. The packet is then routed according to information in the layer-two header.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a processor, wherein the processor is configured to determine a plurality of available wavelengths that are available to transmit data over an optical network comprising a plurality of downstream nodes, select a plurality of encoding wavelengths from the available wavelengths, wherein the encoding wavelengths are a subset of the available wavelengths, apply a plurality of relative power levels to the encoding wavelengths, and encode the data using the encoding wavelengths and the relative power levels, wherein the encoding wavelengths and the relative power levels dictate the switching behavior of the downstream nodes when the data is received by the downstream nodes.

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: In one embodiment, method of photonic packet switching includes receiving, by a photonic switching fabric from a first top-of-rack (TOR) switch, a destination port request corresponding to a first photonic packet and a first period of time, where the destination port request includes a first output port and determining whether the first output port is available during the first period of time. The method also includes receiving, by the photonic switching fabric from the first TOR switch, the first photonic packet and routing the first photonic packet to the first output port when the first output port is available during the first period of time. Additionally, the method includes routing the first photonic packet to an alternative output port when the first output port is not available.