Abstract: According to the present invention, methods and apparatus are provided to improve the link state routing protocol (LSRP) to prevent transient loops during topology changes. Broadcast and shared multicast traffic may be dropped on particular ports upon detecting link state change until neighboring nodes have computed routes using updated link state information. An acknowledgment is sent upon receiving a link state record. Sync and sync-ack packets are used to determine when link state information is synchronized with that of peer nodes.

Abstract: A method for routing calls in a packet-based network includes receiving a call request at a first call manager from a device that is coupled to the packet-based network. The call request includes a telephone number associated with a plurality of telephony devices that are coupled to the packet-based network and that are controlled by a number of call managers. The method also includes determining a line control process associated with the telephone number that is included in the call request and communicating the call request to the line control process. The method further includes determining a device process controlling each telephony device that is associated with the telephone number included in the call request and communicating the call request from the line control process to the device processes.

Abstract: A threshold-based approach is used to assign tasks to servers in a server farm. A “number of connections” count or “connection rate” is maintained for an active server and when the count achieves a first value a wake up signal is sent to a next (inactive) server to alert the inactive server to become active and periodic keep alive signals are initiated. When the number of connections next reaches a second, higher value, subsequent requests for connections are sent to the newly active server. Variations of this approach allow for servers and their associated processes and devices to be handled in clusters for power management scaling efficiency. Servers can be placed in the inactive mode when the number of connections reaches a lower threshold. Other criteria can be used to determine activation of servers, processors or other devices or processes. Other types of resource use monitoring can also be used with this invention.

Abstract: A content monitoring system applies policies to data transfers, and adapts the policies based on violations. Each policy includes a rule that detects violations and actions performed when the rule is violated. Policies may be adapted by, for example: enabling an inactive policy; modifying a parameter within a rule or an action; generating a new policy by combining a policy macro with the violating content block or with associated meta-data, for example, a user ID or IP address. An optional rolling buffer can be used to hold the most recent transfers, and newly adapted policies can be reapplied to the buffered content. Some content blocks are reassembled from a stream of terminal control protocol (TCP) packets that are transferred across a network barrier point. Other content blocks come from writes to removable media. Some content must be decoded, for example, a word processor file.

Abstract: According to the present invention, methods and apparatus are provided to improve the link state routing protocol (LSRP) to prevent transient loops during topology changes. Broadcast and shared multicast traffic is dropped upon detecting link state change until neighboring nodes have computed routes using updated link state information. An acknowledgment for a link state record is sent only after route computation is complete using updated link state information.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed in which an Internet subscriber can establish real-time voice conversations over the Internet. By performing a call negotiation scheme to identify and locate the other calling party, an Internet telephone can establish a voice communication channel over the Internet to a telephony or computer device.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention is a system and method for selecting a mirrored service in a network, such as the Internet, by utilizing a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) attribute. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the BGP attribute, which may be stored in a border router, is accessed for each mirrored service for a prefix associated with the user requesting a host name. The attributes from each mirrored service are compared with each other to determine a “best” attribute which meets a predetermined criteria. The mirrored service associated with the best attribute is then selected as a resolution for the host name.

Abstract: A method includes receiving signals comprising at least one of voice information and text teletype information. The method also includes determining whether at least some of the signals contain text teletype information. The method further includes coding any of the signals containing text teletype information using a text teletype coder. In addition, the method includes coding any of the signals containing voice information using a voice coder.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for providing redundant data forwarding or routing capabilities. In one embodiment, a network device includes a designated router and a non-designated router. The designated router generally provides layer 3 switching or routing for data received into the network device. Although the non-designated router is active, it generally does not provide forwarding capabilities until the designated router fails. The non-designated router's logical interfaces are disabled, while the designated router's logical interfaces are enabled. The non-designated router becomes the new designated router when the first designated router fails. In general terms, the routers of the network device provide redundancy with the network being aware of only a single router within network device. That is, the network is only aware of a single router. This is accomplished by having the routers share the same IP and MAC address on each logical interface.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for maintaining Mobile IP operation in a Home Agent are disclosed. In a Home Agent, a Mobile Node is registered and a registration entry is created in a mobility binding table for the Mobile Node. A multicast message is then sent to a virtual router group to which the Home Agent belongs and with which the Home Agent shares a virtual IP address. The multicast message notifies the virtual router group of the registration. A similar process may be performed when a Mobile Node is de-registered. When an active or non-active Home Agent is initialized, it sends a multicast mobility binding table request to the redundancy group indicating that bindings are requested. The Home Agent may then receive bindings in response to the request and update its mobility binding table with the received bindings.

Abstract: In a computational device, a technique provides network communications to a virtual machine. In particular, the technique includes receiving a first communications signal having a first address and data from an external device, performing a network address translation operation based on the first communications signal to obtain a second address that identifies the virtual machine and providing a second communications signal having the second address and the data, to the virtual machine. The technique may further include using an external network Internet Protocol address and port identifier and to translate the first communications signal into an internal network Internet Protocol address by accessing an entry of a network address translation table.

Abstract: A content distribution system has a DNS server which is configured to provide DNS responses in response to DNS requests, and a device which interconnects between a client and the DNS server. The device includes an interface which communicates with the client, and a controller coupled to the interface. The controller can intercept a first DNS request en route from the client to the DNS server, and provide a second DNS request to the DNS server through the interface in response to interception of the first DNS request. The second DNS request selectively includes a client identifier which identifies the client, and not including the client identifier which identifies the client, based on a selection decision. The controller can further convey a DNS response from the DNS server to the client through the interface. The DNS response includes a content server identifier which identifies a content server.

Abstract: Provided is a 10/100Base-T MAC to PHY interface requiring only two wires (pins) per port, with two additional global wires: a clock wire (pin), and a synchronization wire (pin). This reduction in the number of pins associated with each port is achieved by time-division multiplexing wherein each time-division multiplexed wire combines a plurality of definitions from the conventional 100Base-T interface specified by IEEE 802.3u (clause 22). As a result, each port has its own pair of associated time-division multiplexed wires (pins) and the addition of each port simply requires two additional wires. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, information normally transferred on sixteen wires in a conventional 100Base-T interface at 25 MHz is time-division multiplexed onto two wires (corresponding to two pins) that transfer data at 125 MHz, five times the speed of conventional interfaces. Importantly, this multiplexing is done on a port by port basis.

Abstract: A method for providing network services includes receiving a configuration request. The configuration request identifies a mobile node. The method also includes determining a location of the mobile node and selecting a directory agent based at least on the location of the mobile node. Additionally, the method includes transmitting to the mobile node a configuration response that identifies the directory agent.

Abstract: A system and method for implementing telephony devices in a distributed network environment is disclosed. The present invention provides for checking data packets to ensure that non-voice data packets are properly tagged to be transmitted on a native virtual local area network (“VLAN”). Voice data packets transmitted on a separate VLAN with a higher priority.

Abstract: Various techniques are described which may be used for improving traffic flows between private networks and public networks. According to one aspect of the present invention, a technique is described for implementing asymmetric routing in a NAT routing environment. Another aspect of the present invention provides a technique for implementing load balancing and resource allocation assignments among peers in a redundant, multiple NAT router environment.

Abstract: A method is provided that includes receiving a request from a communication device to establish a communication session with a mobile station, the mobile station being operable to roam between a private and a public network. The mobile station is signaled via a cellular data network that a call is being initiated for the mobile station. Signaling information may be exchanged with a voice gateway such that one or more voice circuits are established. A signaling pathway may be established between an Internet protocol private branch exchange (IP PBX) and the mobile station via the cellular data network. The establishment of the signaling pathway is substantially concurrent with the establishment of one or more of the voice circuits. One or more features associated with a private network are delivered to the mobile station during the communication session as an end user moves between the public and private networks.

Abstract: A technique is disclosed for generating control messages to be transmitted from a first network device to a second network device in a data network. A first control message to be generated at the first network device is determined. Reason information relating to at least one reason for generating the first control message is identified. The first control message is then generated at the first network device, and included the identified reason information. The first control message may be transmitted to at least one other network device in the network, including the second network device. When the first control message is received at the second network device, the reason information included in the first control message is identified. An appropriate response, based, at least in part, upon the reason information provided in the first control message, may then be determined and implemented at the second network device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for significantly reducing the number and types of non-volatile memory used on a typical motherboard is disclosed. While there are typically three or more types of non-volatile memory used to support the CPU during system boot and initialization, the present invention uses only one. This allows for a significant savings in materials cost and design effort.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for dynamically updating service profiles in a network system. A device, such as an edge device providing network services to subscribers, is configured to dynamically update profiles for services provided to subscribers with no downtime required. Devices may be configured in accordance with this disclosure to receive a request by a first subscriber to access a network service having an associated service profile. The device may then cache the current version of the service profile into memory. Upon receiving a request from a second subscriber to access the same network service, the device may then determine whether a newer version of the service profile exists. If a newer version exists, then the device may then associate the newer version of the service profile to the second subscriber's session. Older versions may be purged as they are no longer used.