Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for providing communication services to a mobile platform while moving, wherein the mobile platform communicates along two current communication links extending between the mobile platform and two network gateways. The method comprises: setting an H-VPLS service to enable provisioning of L2 services to the moving platform via at least one of the two current communication links; enabling the moving platform to exchange communications along one or both communication links; replacing one of the two current communication links while the mobile platform is moving, with another communication link extending towards a third network gateway, by using Pseudo Wire Redundancy (PWR) to re-route traffic from the communication link being replaced to the other communication link, thereby allowing the moving platform to continue provisioning the L2 services while communicating with two network gateways, being the third network gateway and one of the former two network gateways.

Abstract: A method of managing a communication network, using a multi-layer management system having at least two management layers each comprising one or more elements, which elements serving as managing entities and/or managed objects. The method comprises performing a network operation simulation at a selected management level of the system, by one or more selected managing entities, while, at the time of the simulation, comprises interrupting management communication between the one or more selected managing entities and elements in an underlying management layer.

Abstract: A method and device are provided for affecting data conveyance within a cable comprising a plurality of copper wire lines. The method comprises: providing information about crosstalk interference experienced by the copper wire lines; for each copper wire line experiencing crosstalk interference (interfered line), identifying which other copper wire lines induce crosstalk interference to that interfered line; partitioning the copper wire lines into interference groups, where each interference group comprises at least one copper wire line, wherein at least one of the interference groups comprises at least three copper wire lines, and wherein in case that a given interference group comprises more than two copper wire lines, then each of the copper wire lines belonging to that interference group is subjected to interference induced by another copper wire line that belongs to that interference group; and based on the partitioning step, changing operational settings of at least one copper wire line.

Abstract: A technique for protecting traffic in a Layer 2 (L2) communication network between a first and a second local nodes (CE1, CE2) interconnected via a redundant dual homed structure, the technique comprises a) distributing the traffic in the dual homed structure in a fault-free state, to form two traffic flows between the CE1 and CE2; b) providing Layer 2 (L2) fault indications for the dual homed structure, in the form of operation and maintenance (OAM) tools, c) in a faulty state of the dual homed structure, forwarding traffic packets at the provider edges of the structure, based only on conventional physical fault indications and L2 fault indications, by locally making forwarding decisions for selecting an active communication line via the redundant dual homed structure.

Abstract: A dual homing technique for ensuring loop free transmission of traffic between telecommunication networks such as VPLS by utilizing a loop protocol in the dual homed connection. The technique also provides selective handling of VPLS data streams protected and non-protected by the dual homing loop protocol.

Abstract: Technique for handling traffic between a specific common source node and a network element NE being part of a dual homing configuration, via a main path and an auxiliary path in the configuration, the technique comprises redirection of the traffic from one of said paths to another while the path from which the traffic has been redirected remains active, while relearn of MAC addresses which is required due to the redirection is performed without executing a MAC addresses flush operation.

Abstract: A technique enabling an access node to undertake more responsibility and render multicast streaming more effective by utilizing streaming service control messages SSCP which contain important information such as Quality of Experience or Quality of Service. The access node itself or in cooperation with a processing/monitoring entity may be enabled to analyze QOE data in SSCP report messages from different access network receivers, to identify specific receivers which encounter problems and to indicate the problems to the provider of the network.

Abstract: For determining OSNRreal of a real optical signal carried in an optical network link, the following has been proposed: tapping a portion of the real optical signal, altering the tapped signal portion by adding to it in-band artificial noise signal, thus obtaining a combined signal, scattering the combined signal by stimulated Brillouin or Raman scattering (SBS or SRS) in an optical element, extracting a signal back reflected by SBS/SRS from the optical element, determining OSNRcomb of the back reflected signal and deriving the OSNRreal from the OSNRcomb knowing absolute and/or relative power of the added artificial noise.

Abstract: A reconfigurable wavelength selective dispersion compensation device RWSDCD for selective compensation of dispersion in optical channels having different wavelengths. The RWSDCD comprises a controllable wavelength selective unit WSU having a plurality of local, wavelength related input/output (I/O) ports. The RWDSD also comprises a dispersion compensation cascade comprising at least one chain of successively connected dispersion compensation units DCUs, wherein one or more of the DCUs in the chain are respectively connectable to one or more of the local I/O ports. The RWSDCD outputs one or more of the incoming optical channels upon selectively compensating chromatic dispersion in them, by controllably passing these channels via one or more DCUs of the dispersion compensation cascade.

Abstract: A method is described for reducing interferences in communications exchanged along a plurality of communication channels operated by a first operator, caused by one or more alien communication channels operated by a second operator. The method comprises the steps of: (i) providing the second operator with information that relates to interferences experienced at the plurality of communication channels operated by a first operator, due to traffic conveyed along alien communication channels operated by the second operator; (ii) modifying the original signals conveyed by the second operator along the alien communication channels; (iii) sending the modified signals to the first operator; and (iv) applying the modified signals by the first operator to reduce interferences in communications exchanged along the plurality of communication channels and operated by the first operator.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for provisioning loop free H-VPLS traffic service in a multi-domain MPLS network having interconnected domains. The method comprises: provisioning pseudo wires (PWs) for MPTMP services in each domain of the MPLS network; defining multiple Split Horizon Groups (SHGs) in the network, wherein each SHG corresponds to a domain, for the H-VPLS service traffic and for each specific node of the MPLS network, automatically assigning indications to SHG and the pseudo wires connected to the specific node, wherein the same indication is assigned to all pseudo wires belonging to the same group (SHG-N), and wherein the step of assigning is characterized in that when traffic belonging to H-VPLS service crosses a border network node located between two interconnected domains, the SHG-N indication of PWs remains the same within a VPLS domain thereby preventing the service traffic from returning to the domain of origin.

Abstract: A reconfigurable optical switching device comprising a Tunable Filters Array (TFA) unit incorporating tunable optical filters, wherein the arrangement is such that one and the same TFA unit is utilized both for performing a drop function of the device in a colorless and reconfigurable manner, and a through function of the device in a reconfigurable manner.

Abstract: Technique for fast rerouting (FRR) of traffic in a communication network, from a working path comprising a link with its downstream node, to one or more backup paths concurrently providing link protection and node protection to the link and the downstream node; the method comprises enabling the downstream node to block forwarding of traffic, if received at the downstream node along the backup path(s), towards a more-down-stream node in the working path in case the more-down-stream node participates in providing node protection against a failure of the downstream node, the technique thereby prevents traffic duplication at the more-down-stream node and does not require distinguishing a link failure from a node failure.

Abstract: A technique for performing a flushing process at a port of a network switch, where the flushing process comprises a flooding operation and an operation of relearning MAC addresses. In the method, these two operations are made independent, and the operation of relearning MAC addresses is started before termination of the flooding operation. An operation of forwarding packets to the relearned MAC addresses can be started before termination of the flooding operation.

Abstract: A technique for forwarding downstream packets in a GPON comprising an OLT unit having a physical PON port connected to N Optical Network Termination (ONT) units by optical fibers. The physical PON port accommodates N individual virtual GEM ports terminated with the N ONT units (ONTs) which form N:1 service. The technique comprises assigning in the physical port of the OLT unit a virtual GEM port being a shared broadcast GEM port terminated with all the N ONTs of the N:1 service. Those downstream packets applied to the physical PON port, which would otherwise be flooded—such as broadcast packets or packets having unknown destination address—will now be forwarded only via the shared broadcast GEM port.

Abstract: A simple and effective all-optical system, producing a multilevel coded optical signal based on the M-ASK technology and by the minimized equipment. The novel all-optical modulation technique for optical M-ASK generation is based on nonlinear interaction between optical signals, say between N 2-ASK modulated pump signals having extinction ratio ER1 and a single 2-ASK modulated optical probe signal having extinction ratio ER2. According to the invention, a 4-ASK optical signal can be obtained using just a single binary modulated pump optical signal and a single binary modulated probe optical signal.

Abstract: A method is provided for managing congestion of traffic in a packet switch, which comprises the steps of: providing more than two different congestion levels at the switch for handling traffic associated with at least two different priorities, one being a low priority traffic and another being a high priority traffic; for each traffic flow having a specific destination and priority, determining a current congestion level that matches a congestion control level which is selected from among the more than two congestion control levels, and associating a different set of operations for handling each respective traffic flow, depending on its priority and its current congestion level, and for each traffic flow, performing operations that match the respective associated set of operations, and wherein a rate at which these operations are performed for each respective traffic flow increases when a higher congestion level occurs at that respective traffic flow.

Abstract: A method is described for providing an MPLS tunnel adapted for sharing bandwidth (BW) in an MPLS network. The method comprises establishing the MPLS tunnel as a working MPLS tunnel (ST) to be shared by a plurality of pseudo wires (PWs) passing at least partially along the path of the tunnel ST, wherein a predetermined bandwidth of the bandwidth allocated for the ST is adapted to be shared by the plurality of PWs, of which at least one PW has a different source point and/or a different destination termination point at the ST path, from at least one other of the plurality of PWs.

Abstract: Technology for detecting an optical data signal carried in a combined optical signal that comprises a carrier optical signal modulated by the optical data signal and also comprises ASE noise. The proposed optical data detector/receiver is provided with an SHG device adapted to generate a second harmonic optical signal of the carrier optical signal modulated by the data signal. In the signal, generated by the SHG, the ASE noise will be essentially reduced.

Abstract: A technique for testing peer nodes in a multicast domain (such as an access network) interconnected with an Ethernet network via an Intermediate Bridge (IB), especially helpful when an individual MAC address of a destination peer node is unknown. The technique comprises a) issuing a Connectivity Fault Management (CFM) message from the Ethernet network, and introducing into the CFM message alternative destination data being different than the individual MAC address of the destination peer node; b) utilizing the alternative destination data, at the IB, for determining topological position or address of the destination peer node, and c) forwarding contents of the CFM message only to the destination peer node.