Abstract: A system and method for implementing a shared protection scheme under a scenario of multiple failures in an optical network. In one embodiment of the invention, a working path between an ingress node and an egress node is computed responsive to a connection request received in the network. One or more backup paths are computed between the ingress and egress nodes, which are activatable upon a failure condition associated with the working path or the backup paths. The backup paths may be based on link and/or node disjointedness, as well as resource-based cost constraints.

Abstract: A method for forming a back-drilled plated through hole in a printed circuit board and the resulting printed circuit board are described herein. In the preferred embodiment, the printed circuit board includes a via extending through a plurality of stacked layers. The via includes a plated through hole and a back-drilled hole. The plated through hole is located within a predetermined number of the stacked layers and the back-drilled hole is located within the remaining stacked layer(s). The plated through hole without an electrically conductive material located on walls therein has a diameter that is substantially the same size or smaller than the diameter of the back-drilled hole.

Abstract: A micro-mobility network routing system and method implementing a protocol that extends the macro mobility support of Mobile IP to support micro mobility is disclosed which permits a more efficient and easily implemented Internet routing protocol for network devices to be affected. The macro mobility feature herein refers to the notion in which the mobile node gains access to the Internet, while retaining the same IP address. This concept is used only once when the mobile node enters the coverage area of a foreign domain (eventually its home domain). The concept of micro mobility within this context eases routing packets to the mobile node while its moves within the foreign network. The present invention implements these new features via the use of message compositions and protocol extensions that extend the prior art Mobile IP protocols.

Abstract: A high speed switching device including an aggregator, a plurality of intermediate ports, and ingress packet processing resources, is disclosed. The aggregator includes an external switch port operatively coupled to a transport medium, and a demultiplexer that divides an ingress data stream into a plurality of intermediate streams. The plurality of intermediate ports transmit the intermediate streams to ingress packet processing resources. The ingress packet processing resource may include one or more classification devices for parsing, switching or routing, and queueing packets of the ingress stream, prior to transmission to a switching fabric. The switching device optionally includes an egress processor for multiplexing egress data from the switching fabric. Intermediate port traffic may be dynamically modified to minimize load imbalance present in an ingress switching device and or egress switching device.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for implementing a protection scheme for switched networks, and particularly GMPLS networks are described. One embodiment is a method of reserving communications channels comprising an alternative path through a switched network, the network comprising a plurality of nodes interconnected by links, wherein each link comprises at least one communications channel. The method comprises simulating failure of a first link; noting a second link over which traffic on the first link is rerouted in the event of failure of the first link; and transmitting a protection request message (“PRM”) from the first link to the second link to request reservation of a specified number of communication channels on the second link.

Abstract: A network (e.g., RSTP-based network) and method are described herein that can selectively eliminate latencies in the exchange of to-be-transmitted control messages (e.g., BPDUs) between bridges during the re/convergence of the network. The method includes a step of classifying to-be-transmitted control messages as either low-priority control messages or high-priority control messages. The method also has a step of limiting the transmission rate of the low-priority control messages in accordance with a traditional IEEE 802.1 RSTP. And, the method also includes a step of immediately transmitting the high-priority control messages that contain information that contributes to the re/convergence of the network.

Abstract: A network paging system and method implementing a Mobile IP protocol that allows transparent routing of IP datagrams sent by a Correspondent Node (CN) (any Internet node that wants to communicate with a Mobile Node) to a Mobile Node (MN) in the Internet is disclosed. The IP paging protocol disclosed is an extension to Mobile IP to allow dormant mode operation permitting conservation of battery power when not receiving/sending IP datagrams. The disclosed technique permits a mobile node to alternate between dormant and active modes to conserve its power resources. In the disclosed invention, the mobile node does not perform location updates as long as it is in dormant mode. In a preferred embodiment, the implement IP paging protocol is a Layer-3 protocol used to find the paging area, in which the MN is located and to alert MN to come out of dormant mode, whenever there is an incoming traffic.

Abstract: One embodiment of the disclosures made herein is an Internet Protocol (IP) multicast control system. In accordance with such IP multicast control system, the IP multicast control system includes a first module capable of facilitating IP multicast control connections between a first apparatus and a second apparatus and a second module capable of enabling termination of a control protocol of the first module. The second module is capable of being supported at an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) layer of the second apparatus.

Abstract: A calendar heap structure and method for sorting N timestamp (TS) values in an ATM fabric scheduler implemented in an access network element. The heap structure is implemented using a radix value (R) for grouping the N TS values into a number of groups. Validity bits associated with the TS values are hierarchically arranged in a tree having logR(N) levels, wherein the bottom layer's N bits correspond to pointers that point to linked lists of flows with respective TS values. Starting from the top level heap, each subsequent level's heaps are successively examined for determining which particular heap obtains a minimum value until a particular validity bit of the bottom level is reached, which validity bit points to the minimum TS.

Abstract: One embodiment of the disclosures made herein is a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) adapted for facilitating DSLAM-hosted information storage functionality. In accordance with such embodiment, the DSLAM includes a storage apparatus and a storage management apparatus. The storage management apparatus is adapted for enabling data storage functionality to be facilitated between a subscriber data processing system and the storage apparatus.

Abstract: Apparatus, and an associated method, for facilitating a call to a packet-network, telephonic station, such as an SIP phone. The call is originated at a originating station formed of a telephonic station of a time-domain-multiplexing network. A call establishment creator is embodied at a media server forming a portion of the packet data network. A call, originated at the originating station, is routed to the call establishment creator. Once the call is routed thereto, an interactive session is formed between the media server and the originating station. During the interactive session, the information needed to ascertain the identity of the terminating station is ascertained, and the call is routed thereto.

Abstract: A scalable multi-service node system uses a stackplane architecture which allows the transport capacity to be flexibly expanded while providing first traffic mode and second traffic mode link channels. The primary channel bank is provided, and one or more secondary channel banks are connected to the primary channel bank through the stackplane first traffic mode and second traffic mode links. The system is expandable by adding secondary channel banks to the system through the stackplane links.

Abstract: One embodiment of the disclosures made herein is a method for implementing multicast control in a point-to-multipoint tree. In accordance with such method, an operation for translating a network element interface identifier associated with a first network element from a first type of network element interface identifier to a second type of network element interface identifier. The operation for translating the network element interface identifier generates a translated network element interface identifier corresponding to the second type of network element interface identifier and transmits the translated network element interface identifier from the first network element for reception by a second network element in response to successful translating the network element interface identifier. After initiating the operation for translating the network element interface identification, an operation is performed for creating a designated root of a point-to-multipoint tree.