Abstract: In accordance with embodiments of the disclosure, a method may include communicating, via an inter-card communication channel, local link status information regarding at least one local physical port resident on a first network interface, wherein the at least one local physical port is a member port of a link aggregation group, to one or more other network interfaces, other than the first network interface, having member ports of the link aggregation group. The method may also include receiving, via the inter-card communications channel, non-local link status information regarding at least one non-local physical port resident on the one or more other network interfaces, wherein the at least one non-local physical port is a member port of the link aggregation group. The method may further include designating a link status of the at least one local physical port based on the local link status information and the non-local link status information.

Abstract: A method may include monitoring available aggregate bandwidth of a network element and determining if the available aggregate bandwidth is sufficient to communicate traffic at a rate equal to an aggregate sum of committed information rates for a plurality of classes of traffic. If the available aggregate bandwidth is sufficient to communicate traffic at the rate equal to the aggregate sum of committed information rates for a plurality of classes of traffic, traffic may be communicated for each of the plurality of classes in accordance with the respective committed information rate for each class. Otherwise, traffic may be communicated for each of the plurality of classes in an amount proportional to the respective committed information rate for a particular class and the available aggregate bandwidth.

Abstract: A method may include: (i) provisioning a first network-side interface of a first plug-in unit and a second network-side interface of a second plug-in unit as members of a network-side protection group, the first plug-in unit and the second plug-in unit integral to an adaptation layer network element; (ii) provisioning a first client-side interface of the first plug-in unit and a second client-side interface of the second plug-in unit as members of a client-side protection group; (iii) designating one of the first and second network-side interface as an active network-side interface of the network-side protection group; and (iv) designating one of the first second client-side interface as an active client-side interface of the client-side protection group, such that traffic ingressing on the active network-side interface may egress on the active client-side interface and traffic ingressing on the active client-side interface may egress on the active network-side interface.

Abstract: In accordance with a particular embodiment of the present disclosure, a network element may include a network-side interface configured to communicatively couple to a network and a controller communicatively coupled to the network-side interface. The controller may be configured to periodically receive one or more messages indicative of a delay for each of a plurality of paths for a network flow between the network element and a second network element, periodically compare the delays for the plurality of paths, and select a path for a network flow from the plurality of paths based on the delays.

Abstract: In accordance with a particular embodiment of the present disclosure, a network element may include a network-side interface configured to communicatively couple to a network and a controller communicatively coupled to the network-side interface. The controller may be configured to periodically receive one or more messages indicative of a delay for each of a plurality of paths for a network flow between the network element and a second network element, periodically compare the delays for the plurality of paths, and select a path for a network flow from the plurality of paths based on the delays.

Abstract: A method may include provisioning: a first flow from a client-side port to a network-side port of the plug-in unit; a second flow from the network-side port to the client-side port; a third flow from the network-side port to a mate link configured to interface with a fourth flow from the mate link to a second client-side port of the second plug-in unit; a fifth flow from the mate link to the network-side port configured to interface with a sixth flow from the second client-side port to the mate link; a seventh flow from the client-side port to the mate link configured to interface with an eighth flow from the mate link to a second network-side port of the second plug-in unit; and a ninth flow from the mate link to the client-side port configured to interface with a tenth flow from the second network-side port to the mate link.

Abstract: A method for configuring admission control of service instances in a network element may include: (i) reading a pre-determined maximum service-idle utilization of a processor approximately equal to maximum utilization of the processor in the absence of services executing on the processor; (ii) reading, for each particular service instance of a desired configuration of service instances, a pre-determined maximum utilization of the processor associated with the particular service instance; (iii) calculating an aggregate maximum utilization for the desired configuration, based on the pre-determined maximum service-idle utilization and the pre-determined maximum utilizations for each of the particular service instances; (iv) determining whether the aggregate maximum utilization is greater than a threshold maximum utilization for the processor; (v) allowing or denying the desired configuration based on the determination.

Abstract: A method and system for determining a path between nodes in a network are disclosed. In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, a system for determining a path between nodes in a network comprises a destination node and a link aggregation group (LAG) that includes a first link and a second link. The system further comprises a source node communicatively coupled to the destination node by the LAG where the source node, the LAG and the destination node form a path. The source node is operable to determine a link availability status for each of the first and second links using a layer-2 protection scheme. The source node is further operable to monitor the path for connectivity based on the link availability status using a layer-3 protection scheme.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments of the disclosure, a method may include communicating, via an inter-card communication channel, local link status information regarding at least one local physical port resident on a first network interface, wherein the at least one local physical port is a member port of a link aggregation group, to one or more other network interfaces, other than the first network interface, having member ports of the link aggregation group. The method may also include receiving, via the inter-card communications channel, non-local link status information regarding at least one non-local physical port resident on the one or more other network interfaces, wherein the at least one non-local physical port is a member port of the link aggregation group. The method may further include designating a link status of the at least one local physical port based on the local link status information and the non-local link status information.

Abstract: A method may include: (i) provisioning a first network-side interface of a first plug-in unit and a second network-side interface of a second plug-in unit as members of a network-side protection group, the first plug-in unit and the second plug-in unit integral to an adaptation layer network element; (ii) provisioning a first client-side interface of the first plug-in unit and a second client-side interface of the second plug-in unit as members of a client-side protection group; (iii) designating one of the first and second network-side interface as an active network-side interface of the network-side protection group; and (iv) designating one of the first second client-side interface as an active client-side interface of the client-side protection group, such that traffic ingressing on the active network-side interface may egress on the active client-side interface and traffic ingressing on the active client-side interface may egress on the active network-side interface.

Abstract: A method for configuring admission control of service instances in a network element may include: (i) reading a pre-determined maximum service-idle utilization of a processor approximately equal to maximum utilization of the processor in the absence of services executing on the processor; (ii) reading, for each particular service instance of a desired configuration of service instances, a pre-determined maximum utilization of the processor associated with the particular service instance; (iii) calculating an aggregate maximum utilization for the desired configuration, based on the pre-determined maximum service-idle utilization and the pre-determined maximum utilizations for each of the particular service instances; (iv) determining whether the aggregate maximum utilization is greater than a threshold maximum utilization for the processor; (v) allowing or denying the desired configuration based on the determination.

Abstract: A method may include provisioning: a first flow from a client-side port to a network-side port of the plug-in unit; a second flow from the network-side port to the client-side port; a third flow from the network-side port to a mate link configured to interface with a fourth flow from the mate link to a second client-side port of the second plug-in unit; a fifth flow from the mate link to the network-side port configured to interface with a sixth flow from the second client-side port to the mate link; a seventh flow from the client-side port to the mate link configured to interface with an eighth flow from the mate link to a second network-side port of the second plug-in unit; and a ninth flow from the mate link to the client-side port configured to interface with a tenth flow from the second network-side port to the mate link.

Abstract: A method may include monitoring available aggregate bandwidth of a network element and determining if the available aggregate bandwidth is sufficient to communicate traffic at a rate equal to an aggregate sum of committed information rates for a plurality of classes of traffic. If the available aggregate bandwidth is sufficient to communicate traffic at the rate equal to the aggregate sum of committed information rates for a plurality of classes of traffic, traffic may be communicated for each of the plurality of classes in accordance with the respective committed information rate for each class. Otherwise, traffic may be communicated for each of the plurality of classes in an amount proportional to the respective committed information rate for a particular class and the available aggregate bandwidth.

Abstract: A method of optimizing bandwidth usage in a link aggregated network includes identifying available bandwidth on a plurality of data links in a link aggregation group, selecting the data link with the least available bandwidth, and determining whether the available bandwidth of the selected data link is less than a guaranteed bandwidth of an incoming data flow. If the available bandwidth of the selected data link is less than the guaranteed bandwidth of the incoming data flow, the method includes selecting the data link with the next least available bandwidth and repeating the previous steps until the available bandwidth of the selected data link is greater than the guaranteed bandwidth of the incoming data flow. The method further includes assigning the data flow to the data link determined to have an available bandwidth greater than the guaranteed bandwidth of the incoming data flow.

Abstract: A method and system for determining a path between nodes in a network are disclosed. In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, a system for determining a path between nodes in a network comprises a destination node and a link aggregation group (LAG) that includes a first link and a second link. The system further comprises a source node communicatively coupled to the destination node by the LAG where the source node, the LAG and the destination node form a path. The source node is operable to determine a link availability status for each of the first and second links using a layer-2 protection scheme. The source node is further operable to monitor the path for connectivity based on the link availability status using a layer-3 protection scheme.

Abstract: A method of optimizing bandwidth usage in a link aggregated network includes identifying available bandwidth on a plurality of data links in a link aggregation group, selecting the data link with the least available bandwidth, and determining whether the available bandwidth of the selected data link is less than a guaranteed bandwidth of an incoming data flow. If the available bandwidth of the selected data link is less than the guaranteed bandwidth of the incoming data flow, the method includes selecting the data link with the next least available bandwidth and repeating the previous steps until the available bandwidth of the selected data link is greater than the guaranteed bandwidth of the incoming data flow. The method further includes assigning the data flow to the data link determined to have an available bandwidth greater than the guaranteed bandwidth of the incoming data flow.