Abstract: Embodiments including methods, systems, and apparatuses for distributing, processing, and reacting to path information distributed via a service-agnostic packet fabric for the purpose of enabling path selection are disclosed. By configuring two ingress line cards to send path quality words to each other via the switch fabric, compare the path quality words, and determine whether to transmit traffic to an egress line card via the switch fabric based on the comparison of the path quality words, the embodiments enable a central switch fabric to be unaware of the paths that it carries, and enable both ingress and egress bandwidth of the switch fabric to be sized according to the facilities for which it is terminating. The switch fabric does not need to support working and protection paths simultaneously in some embodiments, allowing it to be scaled appropriately to termination facilities.

Abstract: Example embodiments are in a form of a system, corresponding electronics card (or apparatus), or corresponding method. Some embodiments include a multi-channel optical layer system. According to some embodiments, the system may include a network interface layer, an adapter layer, and an optical function layer. The adapter layer may learn functions and/or corresponding specifications from the function layer. The adapter layer may configure the adapter layer itself to interoperate between the network interface layer and the optical function layer. The adapter layer may provide flexibility in the size of configured functionality. The adapter layer may reduce cost of configuration (or reconfiguration) because functions may be discretized. New markets may be reached because of this reduced cost, as well as due to smaller size configurations (of hardware and software), reduced electronics, reduced power, and improved thermal cooling requirements for lesser-developed network configurations.

Abstract: A procedure for managing network traffic, and a system that operates in accordance with the procedure. Performance monitoring data is received from multiple network elements that define one or more paths along a network tunnel. The performance monitoring data includes data on network utilization. There is a detection of whether network utilization through the network tunnel exceeds an overflow threshold or an underflow threshold based on the performance monitoring data. A new path and new network elements are determined for the network tunnel, and instructions are transmitted to the network elements on the network to implement the new path.

Abstract: A procedure for evaluating a network, and a system, apparatus, and computer program that operate in accordance with the procedure. The procedure includes aggregating packet information from one or more sources in a network, and executing a correlation algorithm to determine traffic flow information based on the packet information. The aggregating includes obtaining information from a header of a packet being communicated in the network, in one example embodiment. In another example, the executing includes tracing a traffic flow from a source node to a destination node, and the tracing includes determining, based on the packet information, each link by which the traffic flow is communicated from the source node to the destination node.

Abstract: An intranodal reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) fiber management apparatus, and a system employing the apparatus. The apparatus comprises a plurality of ingress optical ports, a plurality of egress optical ports, and a plurality of optical interconnections interposed between ones of the plurality of ingress optical ports and ones of the plurality of egress optical ports. Each of the plurality of ingress optical ports corresponds to one of the plurality of egress optical ports. Each one of the plurality of ingress optical ports is optically coupled by way of the optical interconnections to at least one of the plurality of egress optical ports. Each one of the plurality of egress optical ports is optically coupled by way of the optical interconnections to at least one of the plurality of ingress optical ports.

Abstract: The disclosed methods, apparatus, and systems allow safe and easy deployment of amplifier products that exceed laser safe limits without the need for fiber testing and characterization or OTDR techniques. One example embodiment is a method for ensuring eye safety in an optical network. The example method includes detecting optical connectivity between an output of a transmit amplifier and a passive optical processing element. The transmit amplifier is located at a first network node and is configured to output optical power greater than eye-safe level. The passive optical processing element is located at a second network node and is configured to guarantee a reduction of a maximum optical power level at an output side of the passive optical processing element to an eye-safe optical level. The detecting occurs at the first network node, and the transmit amplifier is enabled or disabled as a function of detection of the optical connectivity.

Abstract: A network element includes a processor that is configured to receive a request for performing an administratively-requested reroute (ARR) on a network. The ARR includes at least a first data plane operation on the network element and a second data plane operation on another network element. The network element is also configured to determine whether it is capable of performing the first data plane operation without interrupting network traffic on that network element. The network element is further configured to determine whether the other network element is capable of performing the second data plane operation without interrupting network traffic on that network element.

Abstract: An apparatus and system for a heat sink assembly, and a procedure for forming a heat sink assembly. The heat sink assembly includes a heat sink having a base and fins extending from the base, and a spring clip disposed on the heat sink between the fins. The spring clip includes a first tab that forms a first angle with respect to the base of the heat sink and including a second tab that forms a second angle with respect to the base of the heat sink. The first and second tabs are attached to the circuit board. By virtue thereof, a heat sink attachment to cage is provided that is space-efficient and permits a higher density of cages on a circuit board than do conventional arrangements.

Abstract: Embodiments including methods, systems, and apparatuses for distributing, processing, and reacting to path information distributed via a service-agnostic packet fabric for the purpose of enabling path selection are disclosed. By configuring two ingress line cards to send path quality words to each other via the switch fabric, compare the path quality words, and determine whether to transmit traffic to an egress line card via the switch fabric based on the comparison of the path quality words, the embodiments enable a central switch fabric to be unaware of the paths that it carries, and enable both ingress and egress bandwidth of the switch fabric to be sized according to the facilities for which it is terminating. The switch fabric does not need to support working and protection paths simultaneously in some embodiments, allowing it to be scaled appropriately to termination facilities.

Abstract: Source-synchronous communications between networked devices can be hindered by differing clock rates and data interface formats among the devices. By implementing a plurality of clock converters, a data interface format of a transmitting device is converted to a data interface format compatible with a receiving device. The clock converters provide a clock signal based on the source-synchronous data clock, and having a phase controlled with respect to an associated data signal. As a result, data exchange between devices operating at different clock rates is made possible.

Abstract: A procedure for operating a communication network including a network device that is in communication in the network with at least one user communication terminal and at least one server that server that provides content. The procedure includes receiving a message from one of the user communication terminal and the server, inserting at least one of an identifier of the user communication terminal and an identifier of the server in the message, and forwarding the message, including the at least one identifier inserted in the inserting, towards another of the user communication terminal and the server. A computer program, apparatus, and communication network also operate in accordance with the procedure.

Abstract: The described embodiments provide techniques and architectures for enabling interoperability between legacy network systems and Software Defined Networking (SDN) systems. The embodiments add functionality to an SDN system to support interworking between an SDN controlled network, and a legacy network. When upgrading a legacy system to SDN, it may not be possible to upgrade all network components at once. The described embodiments facilitate the use of legacy network components together with SDN system components, by adding new functionality to the SDN data plane elements and control plane elements. The SDN forwarding network elements (NEs) terminate the physical links carrying legacy protocols that include combined data traffic and control information.

Abstract: A system, apparatus, and procedure for controlling a fan module. The system comprises a chassis having a backplane, at least one fan module arranged in the chassis, and a profile switch. In one embodiment, the profile switch is arranged in the chassis. Each fan module includes at least one fan and a fan module controller arranged to receive a control signal from a shelf controller. The profile switch is arranged to signal the fan module controller so as to control the at least one fan based on operating profiles corresponding to selected switch positions of the switch.

Abstract: To perform protection switching between tunnels in a network, Y.1731-based APS messages are often sent from a management system to nodes at the tunnels' end-points. If the management system is located near one node (local node) and far away from the other node (remote node), the APS message, which operates at the Ethernet service layer, travels to the remote node slower than traffic over the tunnels. This slower transmission time may prevent the remote node from performing a switch within a desired timeframe. The disclosed embodiments include a 1:1 bidirectional VLAN-based protection arrangement that accomplishes a 50 millisecond switching time without using Y.1731-based APS messages. The embodiments accomplish this by sending a switching command from the management system to the local node and modifying a message already traveling from the local node to the remote node to include a switching message that causes the remote node to perform the switch.

Abstract: A network element includes a processor that is configured to receive a request for performing an administratively-requested reroute (ARR) on a network. The ARR includes at least a first data plane operation on the network element and a second data plane operation on another network element. The network element is also configured to determine whether it is capable of performing the first data plane operation without interrupting network traffic on that network element. The network element is further configured to determine whether the other network element is capable of performing the second data plane operation without interrupting network traffic on that network element.

Abstract: A method and/or network system is able to perform an in-service software upgrade (“ISSU”) using virtualization technology while ongoing network service is maintained. After receipt of an upgrade signal such as a command of software upgrade, a new or second virtual machine (“VM”) is created in response to the upgrade signal. After downloading the new version of program to the second VM while maintaining the first version of program running on the first VM, the process for providing network management begins to migrate from the first version of program to the new version of program. The process simultaneously facilitates ISSU for a data-path module such as a line card to convert from the previous version of software to the new version of the software.

Abstract: Example embodiments include an optical networking system (e.g., apparatus) and corresponding method. According to some embodiments, a plurality of shelves may be interconnected to form a daisy chain, each shelf including unpowered passive optical modules and the daisy chain including an active module having a passive power communication source. The passive power communication source may distribute passive power to memory devices on the one unpowered passive optical networking modules. The memory devices may provide respective communication as a function of interconnections of the daisy chain and passive power distributed by the passive power communication source. Advantages include unique identification of the memory devices without requiring active power to their corresponding modules, and continuous discovery and inventory of such memory devices.

Abstract: An intranodal reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) fiber management apparatus, and a system employing the apparatus. The apparatus comprises a plurality of ingress optical ports, a plurality of egress optical ports, and a plurality of optical interconnections interposed between ones of the plurality of ingress optical ports and ones of the plurality of egress optical ports. Each of the plurality of ingress optical ports corresponds to one of the plurality of egress optical ports. Each one of the plurality of ingress optical ports is optically coupled by way of the optical interconnections to at least one of the plurality of egress optical ports. Each one of the plurality of egress optical ports is optically coupled by way of the optical interconnections to at least one of the plurality of ingress optical ports.

Abstract: A procedure for evaluating a network, and a system, apparatus, and computer program that operate in accordance with the procedure. The procedure includes aggregating packet information from one or more sources in a network, and executing a correlation algorithm to determine traffic flow information based on the packet information. The aggregating includes obtaining information from a header of a packet being communicated in the network, in one example embodiment. In another example, the executing includes tracing a traffic flow from a source node to a destination node, and the tracing includes determining, based on the packet information, each link by which the traffic flow is communicated from the source node to the destination node.

Abstract: A procedure for managing network traffic, and a system that operates in accordance with the procedure. Performance monitoring data is received from multiple network elements that define one or more paths along a network tunnel. The performance monitoring data includes data on network utilization. There is a detection of whether network utilization through the network tunnel exceeds an overflow threshold or an underflow threshold based on the performance monitoring data. A new path and new network elements are determined for the network tunnel, and instructions are transmitted to the network elements on the network to implement the new path.