Abstract: According to one aspect, a method includes coupling first and second security units in series between first and second networks. The first security unit obtains packets from the first network, and the second security unit obtains the packets from the first security unit. The first security unit includes first logic arranged to provide security. The second security unit includes second logic arranged to provide security. The method also includes configuring the second security unit in a bypass mode such that the second logic does not provide security, and obtaining a first packet from the first network via the first security unit. The first packet is identified as secure by the first logic. Finally, the method includes providing the first packet from the second security unit to the second network by passing the first packet through the second unit without using the second logic to provide security.

Abstract: A technique for key sharing among multiple key servers connected to one another over a communication network is provided herein. Each key sever of the multiple key servers stores respective cryptographic keys, and provides the keys to a local device group connected with the key server, to enable the device group to encrypt messages with the keys. Each key server acts as a proxy for the other key servers in order to receive other keys from the other key servers over the network, and provide the other keys to the device group for use to decrypt messages received from other local device groups respectively connected with the other key servers that were encrypted with the other keys and to check message integrity. The multiple key servers may share keys with each other directly, or alternatively, indirectly through a central key server, as needed to support secure communications between their respective device groups.

Abstract: A plurality of multipoint conference units (MCUs) may optimize bandwidth by selecting particular video streams to transmit to endpoints and/or other MCUs participating in a video conference. An endpoint may generate video streams and audio streams and transmit these streams to its managing MCU. During the video conference, an endpoint may also receive and display different video streams and different audio streams. In a particular embodiment, a controlled MCU receives video streams from its managed endpoints, selects potential video streams based upon the maximum number of video streams that any endpoint can display concurrently, and transmits those potential video streams to a master MCU. The master MCU may also receive video streams from its managed endpoints and may select active video streams for transmission to its managed endpoints and to the controlled MCU, which transmits selected streams to its managed endpoints.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed which can perform cable characterization at link-up and during in-service monitoring to provide the best data throughput. In some embodiments a plurality of frequency tones may be sent across a cable to a remote system. A plurality of return loss values associated with sending the plurality of frequency tones may then be measured and stored. Next, a crosstalk value across the cable may be computed. A quality value for the cable may then be determined based on at least the plurality of return loss values and the crosstalk value.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for determining, for at least one wireless access point in a wireless network, a number of first-time associations created with one or more wireless client devices in the wireless network. Based upon the determined number of first-time associations created, the number of discovery frames to be sent by the at least one wireless access point may be adjusted.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and may include monitoring, by a radio access network (RAN) orchestration function, impairments between a plurality of candidate locations interconnected by a transport network, wherein one or more network elements capable of performing one or more operations associated with a RAN are located at the plurality of candidate locations; determining a decomposition of one or more operations associated with the RAN into a plurality of sets of virtualized network functions (VNFs) to execute the operations; determining a distribution of the plurality of sets of VNFs among the one or more network elements associated with the RAN for one or more optimal locations of the plurality of candidate locations based, at least in part, on the monitored impairments; and instantiating the plurality of sets of VNFs at each of the one or more optimal locations.

Abstract: An encoder receives a sequence of packets. For each packet, the encoder selects a window of at least previous packets in the sequence of packets. The encoder identifies in the window one or more earlier packets among the previous packets and one or more later packets separated from the one or more earlier packets by a gap including gap packets. The encoder encodes the one or more earlier packets and the one or more later packets into a forward error correction (FEC) packet corresponding to the packet, without using any of the gap packets, and transmits the FEC packet and the packet.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes sending a first request message to a first server associated with a first access network indicative of a request for an indication of whether the first server is configured to support prioritization of tunneled traffic, receiving a first response message from the first server indicative of whether the first server is configured to support prioritization of tunneled traffic, establishing one or more first tunnels with a security service when the first response message is indicative that the first server is configured to support prioritization of tunneled traffic, sending first flow characteristics and a first tunnel identifier to the first server; and receiving the first flow characteristics for each first tunnel from the first server at a first network controller. The first network controller is configured to apply a quality of service policy within the first access network for each tunnel in accordance with the flow characteristics.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and may include receiving data associated with a user equipment (UE) at a central baseband unit; determining one or more block time scheduling decisions for a plurality of subframes associated with the data; communicating the data to a remote radio unit; communicating the one or more block time scheduling decisions to the remote radio unit; and communicating the data to the UE from the remote radio unit based, at least in part, on the one or more block time scheduling decisions. In some cases, the method can include communicating the one or more block time scheduling decisions to the remote radio unit at a first rate and communicating the data to the remote radio unit at a second rate.

Abstract: Source code verification, including receiving a declaration of a variable as a secret type, determining if any source code is configured to use the variable as a type other than secret, and if it is determined that there is source code that will use the variable as a type other than secret, creating an exception in the source code verification process.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes calculating a packet metric for a first one of a plurality of links connected to a network element, wherein the packet metric is equal to a packet count over a period of time T divided by a maximum throughput of the first one of the links; and determining based on the packet metric whether traffic on the one of the links should be switched to another one of the plurality of links to optimize power usage. If a determination is made that the traffic on the first one of the links should be switched to another one of the plurality of links, the method further includes selecting a second link from a subset of the plurality of links; assigning the traffic to the selected second link; and applying a cost saving measure at an interface of the network element to which the first link is connected.

Abstract: A method is provided in one embodiment and includes establishing a communication session involving a first endpoint and a second endpoint that are associated with a session, the first endpoint being associated with a first identifier and the second endpoint being associated with a second identifier. The method also includes evaluating first data for the first endpoint; evaluating second data for the second point; and determining whether to initiate a calendaring activity based, at least in part, on the first data and the second data. In more specific embodiments, the method includes evaluating a first availability associated with the first endpoint; evaluating a second availability associated with the second endpoint; and suggesting a future meeting based, at least in part, on the first availability and the second availability.

Abstract: An example method is provided in one example embodiment and may include receiving a request from a user equipment (UE) to access a wireless access network, wherein the UE is currently accessing one or more other wireless networks; determining by a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) whether a subscriber associated with the UE is authorized to access the wireless access network based, at least in part, on a profile for the subscriber; and communicating one of a wireless access rejection and a wireless access acceptance to the UE based on the determination. In some instances, the determining can include recovering the profile for the subscriber associated with the UE from a Subscriber Profile Repository (SPR) using an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) for the subscriber.

Abstract: Present disclosure relates to methods for preparing BGP update messages for transmission and processing received update messages. The methods are based on grouping path attributes common to a plurality of IP address prefixes into respective sets identified with respective set identifiers and, instead of duplicating path attributes in each BGP update message, including a respective identifier referring to a certain set of path attributes provided in an earlier BGP update message when sending subsequent update messages. Grouping of path attributes into individual sets associated with respective identifiers provides significant advantages by enabling re-use of the results of previous processing on both the sending and receiving sides associated with transmission of BGP update messages. In addition, such an approach limits the amount of information transmitted in the control plane because duplicate sets of path attributes may only be transmitted once and merely be referred to in subsequent update messages.

Abstract: Systems and methods may be provided for determining whether or not to output the “decoded pictures yet to be output” (DPYTBO) after decoding a random access point (RAP) picture of the second of two consecutive coded video sequences in a bitstream. The DPYTBO pictures may reside in a portion of memory coupled to a video decoder. The portion of memory may correspond to the Decoder Picture Buffer (DPB) of the video decoder. The picture resolution in the bitstream is allowed to change only at the start of a CVS. The first coded picture in a coded video sequence (CVS) may be a RAP picture. The second CVS may or may not have a picture resolution that is different from the picture resolution corresponding to the first CVS.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a controller determines a particular compartment of a smart postal box in which a package is to be delivered. The controller associates the particular compartment with an authorized entity. The controller provides the authorized entity access to the particular compartment by aligning rolling doors of the smart postal box with the particular compartment.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and may include determining one or more uplink inter cell interference coordination (ICIC) parameters for a plurality of cells based, at least in part, on feedback information associated with the plurality of cells; exchanging interference information between neighboring cells; and scheduling uplink transmissions for user equipment served by the neighboring cells based, at least in part, on the uplink ICIC parameters and the interference information exchanged between neighboring cells. A method is provided in another example embodiment and may include determining a ratio relating a first portion of a frequency spectrum for assigning fractional frequency re-use resources to a second portion of the frequency spectrum for assigning re-use one resources; and updating the ratio relating the first portion and the second portion of the frequency spectrum to optimize throughput rates for the plurality of user equipment across the plurality of cells.

Abstract: In one method embodiment a method of processing of a bitstream is disclosed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, contextual service mobility in an enterprise fabric network environment (e.g., overlay and underlay networks) provides for moving of the location of a service being applied to packets with minimal updates to the mapping database. The mapping database is used to convert addresses of the overlay network to physical network and service addresses. The mapping database provides contextual lookup operations on the same destination address of a packet being forwarded in the overlay network to provide different results. The contextual lookup operations provide for a packet to be forwarded to a service node or its intended destination depending on the current context. In one embodiment, the enterprise fabric network uses Locator/ID Separation Protocol (LISP), a network architecture and set of protocols that uses different overlay and underlay namespaces and a distributed mapping database for converting an overlay address to an underlay address.

Abstract: A communication device includes a loudspeaker to transmit sound into a room. A signal having a white noise-like frequency spectrum spanning a frequency range of human hearing is generated. Auditory thresholds of human hearing for frequencies spanning the frequency range are stored. Respective levels of background noise in the room at the frequencies are determined. The white noise-like frequency spectrum is spectrally shaped to produce a shaped frequency spectrum having, for each frequency, a respective level that follows either the auditory threshold or the level of background noise at that frequency, whichever is greater. The shaped frequency spectrum is transmitted from the loudspeaker into the room.