Abstract: A method for handling a queued automatic call distributor call includes receiving a call from an endpoint of a caller over a first connection. The call comprises a request for service. The method includes connecting the call to an automatic call distributor through a second connection and determining that the call is queued. The method includes terminating the first connection with the caller and receiving an indicator to reestablish a connection with the caller. The method also includes reestablishing a connection with the caller.

Abstract: Sequences of items may be maintained using ordered locks. These items may correspond to anything, but using ordered locks to maintain sequences of packets, especially for maintaining requisite packet orderings when distributing packets to be processed to different packet processing engines, may be particularly useful. For example, in response to a particular packet processing engine completing processing of a particular packet, a gather instruction is attached to the particular identifier of a particular ordered lock associated with the particular packet. If no longer needed for further processing, the packet processing engine is immediately released to be able to process another packet or perform another function. The gather instruction is typically performed in response to the particular ordered lock being acquired by the particular identifier, with the gather instruction causing the processed particular packet to be sent.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to limit the throughput rate on a packet-by-packet basis. Each packet of an input flow is mapped to an entry in a flow table for each output queue. The mapping is based on a subset of the packet's header data, giving an approximation of per-flow management. Each entry contains a credit value. On packet reception, the credit value is compared to zero; if there are no credits, the packet is dropped. Otherwise, the size of the packet is compared to the credit value. If sufficient credits exist (i.e., size is less than or equal to credits), the credit value is decremented by the size of the packet in cells and the packet is processed. If the size of the packet exceeds the available credits, the credit value is set to zero and the packet is dropped. A periodic task adds credits to each flow table entry up to a predetermined maximum.

Abstract: Techniques described use Generic Framing Procedure (GFP) to transport data across an optical transport network between near and far Fiber Channel (FC) or Fiber Connectivity (FICON) local area optical networks. Each FC/FICON edge node (FCE) on an edge of the optical transport network has multiple modes for processing FC/FICON frames transported across the optical transport network. The techniques include receiving, at a near FCE from a far FCE, a GFP control plane message that includes a mode field that holds data that indicates a far mode, wherein the far mode is used at the far FCE. It is determined whether a near mode used by the near FCE matches the far mode based on the mode field. If it is determined that they do not match, then an alert is caused. These techniques allow software to utilize existing GFP chips in FCE that use optional processing, such as distance extension.

Abstract: A method of forwarding data in a data communications network having a plurality of nodes comprises the steps, performed at a repairing node, of computing the repair path around a network component to a target node and forwarding data along the repair path. The computing step comprises the step of computing an intermediate node reachable by the repairing node and from which the target node can be reached. The forwarding step includes the step of constructing a Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) packet for forwarding to the intermediate node.

Abstract: A method of provisioning modular network devices is described. A generic configuration is placed on a device; the configuration comprises commands for configuring interfaces associated the device. At the device, each interface associated with the device is configured with at least one command associated with the configuration. The device then attempts to connect with a management point through the current interface. If the current interface can connect to the management point, then an inventory of all interfaces associated with the device is self-initiated and automatically communicated by the device to the management point. In other embodiments, based on the inventory information, a configuration template containing relative interface references may be resolved into a permanent device configuration that includes absolute interface references.

Abstract: A method for distributing calls includes receiving a plurality of calls each for connection with one of a plurality of agents and storing each of the plurality of calls in a queue. The method includes monitoring the time that each of the plurality of calls has spent in the queue and determining that a first agent is available to receive a call. The method also includes determining, for a first call that has spent the most time in the queue, a first amount of time that the first call has spent in the queue and determining whether the first amount of time has exceeded a service level time. The method includes, if the first amount of time has not exceeded the service level time, distributing the first call to the first agent.

Abstract: An architecture for a semiconductor static random access memory (SRAM) is described. In one example, a first set or group or stage of SRAM banks are coupled to a first data bus formed using bit line pairs, and a second set or group or stage of SRAM banks are coupled to a second data bus formed using other bit line pairs. The number of banks coupled to each bit line pair is determined by the SRAM's operating frequency and size. Each data bus is coupled to a sense amplifier. The output from the sense amplifier is then coupled to the bit line pair of a group of SRAM banks. This adjacent group has staging logic coupled to each SRAM bank to store the output of the SRAM bank until the contents from the first group is placed on the bit line of the adjacent stage of SRAM banks. The output from either the first stage or from one of the SRAM banks in the adjacent stage's SRAM banks, which had been stored in the adjacent stage's staging logic, is driven to the sense amplifier coupled to the adjacent stage.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for increasing the efficiency with which data is transmitted over a network link. Voice packets are encoded to include header bits that indicate the presence and duration of pauses in the voice transmission. A Network linking device monitors incoming voice packets on a link, checking for the presence of a pause. The linking device also keeps track of all voice connections on the link. When none of the voice connections are active, the linking device increases the size of the maximum allowed transferable unit (MATU), thus fragmenting less data packets than it would have fragmented if a voice connection had been active. Fragmentation is reduced while maintaining sound quality.

Abstract: A communications system includes a mobile unit that transmits content and a number of base transceiver stations that receive the content from the mobile unit. Each base transceiver station determines a value for a metric associated with communications between the mobile unit and the base transceiver station, generates a graded packet including the value and the content, and communicates the graded packet. The system also includes a router that receives the graded packets, combines different portions of the content from each of two or more of the graded packets to create an improved packet, and communicates the improved packet. The different portions from the graded packets collectively represent the entirety of the content such that the improved packet includes the entirety of the content.

Abstract: A uniquely configured data structure is used to store event information for each network entity, where logical and physical dependency relationships among entities are captured in the data structure. For each entity, the data structure is configured to store (a) a “genuine event set”, which includes a list of events that originated in association with the entity; and (b) a “derived event set”, which includes a list of records in which each record is associated with an event that originated in association with an entity that has a dependency relationship (e.g., layering or topological) with the entity. The derived event set may simply comprise references to the genuine event sets for entities that have a dependency relationship with the entity.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for registering a mobile device such as a mobile node or mobile router with a Home Agent in an asymmetric link environment. A Foreign Agent associates each of one or more interfaces of the Foreign Agent with a different care-of address. An agent advertisement including the care-of address for the one or more interfaces of the Foreign Agent is then sent via one or more uplinks. A registration request is received via a downlink router. The registration request identifies a care-of address associated with one of the one or more interfaces of the Foreign Agent. One of the interfaces identified by the care-of address is ascertained, thereby identifying the interface to which the mobile device has roamed. The registration request is forwarded to the Home Agent. A registration reply is received from the Home Agent. The registration reply is then forwarded to the mobile device via the ascertained interface.

Abstract: An approach is provided for characterizing the dynamic availability behavior of network elements using metrics that indicate patterns of availability of a network element over time. The metrics provide an indication of stability and instability of a network element and include one stability metric and three instability metrics. The stability metric is a stability order that indicates how long an operational state holds with respect to a prior operational state. The instability metrics include an instability order, a repeatability order and a multiplicity order. The instability order indicates how quickly a network element changes operational states. The repeatability order indicates short-term instability within a vicinity of a change in operational state. The multiplicity order indicates long-term instability. The metrics may be used alone, or in various combinations, by network management applications to better manage network elements.

Abstract: A system and method that supports disjoint authentication server farms and disjoint policy or authorization servers for multi-session establishment. The authentication server has global knowledge of authenticators for additional sessions for a supplicant and can split authentication requests as needed to different authentication servers. The split authentication and authorization requests can be aggregated should the other authentication and authorization servers have the capability to handle multiple requests. In the case of server farms, authentication and implied authorization requests can be split to facilitate load balancing.

Abstract: A method for managing contents of a web site. A request to access a web site is received from a requestor, wherein the web site comprises a sparse tree directory comprising elements used to build the web site. The sparse tree directory comprises a web site page hierarchy located at the root directory of a shape hierarchy, wherein the web site page hierarchy comprises a directory structure of the web application and the shape hierarchy defines user shapes accommodated by the web application. The sparse tree directory also comprises a first subdirectory corresponding to a first value of a dimension and a second subdirectory corresponding to a second value of the dimension, wherein the first subdirectory comprises a first element and the second subdirectory comprises a second element. A shape of the requestor is generated, wherein the shape defines elements that can be accommodated by the requestor. The sparse tree directory is cached. The sparse tree directory is searched for elements defined by the shape.

Abstract: A generic data over cable system configures different cable and/or non-cable network infrastructures to operate in a data over cable environment. In one embodiment, a Modular Cable Modem Termination System (M-CMTS) core is coupled to one or more physical gateways over a packet switched network. The physical gateways are connected to endpoints over either a cable or non-cable network infrastructure. An adaptation layer configures the physical gateways and the associated endpoints so that cable applications and cable subscriber services can operate over either the cable or non-cable network infrastructures.

Abstract: Rules in NAT and firewall devices are updated only when a packet flow is verified as genuine through transport-layer message acknowledgment sequences. When a device receives a packet indicating initiation of a new association, the device stores an internal source tag, an internal destination tag, an external source tag, and an external destination tag. Only after receiving a completion acknowledgment message from the destination node, the device sets the internal source tag equal to the external source tag, and sets the internal destination tag equal to the external destination tag. The rules are then updated based on the internal tags. As a result, the approach thwarts denial of service (DOS) attacks that seek to modify rules of NAT and firewall devices to permit harmful traffic.

Abstract: A technique for implementing route aggregation in a computer network containing a multi-homed customer site connected to primary and second networks, which in turn are both connected to a common “backbone” network. According to the technique, the primary network allocates a block of network addresses for the customer site, and the customer site notifies the secondary network of its allocated addresses. The secondary network first determines whether the primary network has already advertised an aggregated route which incorporates the customer site's route. If so, the secondary network “suppresses” (i.e., does not advertise) the customer site's route. The secondary network only “unsuppresses” the customer site's route if it detects that the primary network has lost connectivity to the customer site and/or the backbone network.

Abstract: In one embodiment, one or more virtual private network (VPN) prefixes may be grouped at a network node into sets having shared network border node next-hop options, where each border node has a defined index value associated therewith. Also, a list of VPN labels associated with each VPN prefix may be maintained by the network node, where each VPN label is associated with a border node of a particular set by a corresponding index value. Further, the network node may determine a particular border node for traffic to be forwarded, along with the defined index value. The network node may then apply the index value to select an associated VPN label, and may affix the selected VPN label to the traffic for forwarding.