Abstract: A method may include monitoring available aggregate bandwidth of a network element and determining if the available aggregate bandwidth is sufficient to communicate traffic at a rate equal to an aggregate sum of committed information rates for a plurality of classes of traffic. If the available aggregate bandwidth is sufficient to communicate traffic at the rate equal to the aggregate sum of committed information rates for a plurality of classes of traffic, traffic may be communicated for each of the plurality of classes in accordance with the respective committed information rate for each class. Otherwise, traffic may be communicated for each of the plurality of classes in an amount proportional to the respective committed information rate for a particular class and the available aggregate bandwidth.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a switch may include a processor and a plurality of line cards, each line card including a table of addresses. The processor may be configured to: (i) read, from a first line card of the plurality of line cards, addresses relating to all flooding domains present on the first line card; (ii) store the addresses read from the first line card on a memory accessible to the processor; (iii) determine a second line card of the plurality of line cards, the second line card having the presence of at least one flooding domain not present on the first line card; (iv) read, from the second line card, addresses relating to all flooding domains present on the second line card; and (v) store the addresses read from the second line card on the memory.

Abstract: A method may include: (i) in response to clearing of a fault on a working path of a protection switching group to which a first network element is interfaced: (a) transitioning, by the first network element, its state to a first state in which a protection path of the protection switching group is active; and (b) initiating, by the first network element, a wait to restore timer, the wait to restore timer having a duration such that upon expiration of the timer, the first network element is configured to switch the working path to active; and (ii) in response to receiving a message from a second network element interfaced to the protection switching group indicating that a failure has occurred on the working path: (a) maintaining, by the first network element, its state in the first state; and (b) continuing, by the first network element, the wait to restore timer.

Abstract: A method and system for priority based (1:1)n Ethernet protection. The method and system includes assigning a priority to each of the flows associated with a working path. Upon fail of one or more of the working paths checking available bandwidth and priority of the flows. Once the request is complete, switching one or more flows to the protection path based on at least the priority of the flow, the bandwidth of the working path and the available bandwidth on the protection path. If a newly failed working path has a higher priority flow then dropping a flow from the protection path to a pending state. Once a working path has recovered, reverting the flow back to the working path and possibly admitting pending data to the protection path if the bandwidth and prioritization requirements are met.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method may include receiving a plurality of flows, the plurality of flows comprising a working group of flows received via a working path and a protection group of flows received via a protection path, marking each flow in the working group with a first class marker, marking each flow in the protection group with a second class marker, determining whether each of the working group and the protection group is an active group or an inactive group, determining whether each of the plurality of flows is in the active group or in the inactive group based on whether each of the plurality of flows is marked with the first class marker or the second class marker, dropping each flow in the inactive group, and passing each flow in the active group.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method may include writing a congestion forward indicator (CFI) bit of an outer virtual local area network (VLAN) tag in an Ethernet frame to one of a first setting or a second setting, reading the CFI bit of the outer VLAN tag at a switching element, copying priority (PRI) bits of the outer VLAN tag to PRI bits of an inner VLAN tag if the CFI bit of the outer VLAN tag is set to the first setting, and maintaining the state of the PRI bits of the inner VLAN tag if the CFI bit of the outer VLAN tag is set to the second setting.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method may include assigning one egress profile identifier out of a plurality of egress profile identifiers to an Ethernet frame based at least on an egress connection identifier (eXid) tag of the Ethernet frame at a traffic manager, receiving the Ethernet frame at a switching element from the traffic manager, receiving metadata at the switching element from the traffic manager, the metadata comprising the assigned egress profile identifier, an internal class of service marker, and an internal congestion marker, and mapping the internal class of service marker and the internal congestion marker to a priority marker and an external congestion marker in the Ethernet frame based on the egress profile identifier.

Abstract: In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, a method may include receiving a plurality of frames in a flow from a plurality of traffic managers, determining whether a traffic manager from which a frame in the flow was sent is a primary traffic manager for the flow or a secondary traffic manager for the flow based on a class marker for the frame, switching the frame if the frame is from the primary traffic manager for the flow, and discarding the frame if the frame is from the secondary traffic manager for the flow.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method may include generating a first plurality of Service Operation, Administration, and Management (SOAM) flows intended for a working port and a second plurality of SOAM flows intended for a protection port, wherein the working port and the protection port form a link aggregation group, determining whether each of the working port and the protection port is an active port or an inactive port, dropping all of the first plurality of SOAM flows if the working port is the inactive port, communicating all of the first plurality of SOAM flows to the working port if the working port is the active port, dropping all of the second plurality of SOAM flows if the protection port is the inactive port, and communicating all of the second plurality of SOAM flows to the protection port if the protection port is the active port.

Abstract: In accordance with the present disclosure, disadvantages and problems associated with polarization dependent effects of a polarization multiplexed optical signal may be reduced through polarization scrambling. In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure a method for detecting polarization scrambling of a polarization multiplexed optical signal comprises receiving a polarization multiplexed optical signal associated with an optical network. The polarization multiplexed optical signal including a scrambled polarization orientation, the polarization orientation scrambled according to a scrambling frequency. The method further comprising receiving a polarization signal indicating the polarization scrambling of the received optical signal. The method additionally comprises descrambling the optical signal according to the polarization scrambling as indicated by the polarization signal.

Abstract: A method for solving communication failure includes transmitting user traffic over an automatic protection switching (“APS”) connection between a near network node and a far network node, determining that a protect path on the APS connection has failed, sending a message to the far network node that the protect path has failed, and switching user traffic to the working path at the near network node.

Abstract: A method for preventing traffic loss includes transmitting user traffic over an automatic protection switching (“APS”) connection with revertive operation between a first switch and a second switch, determining that the working path on the APS connection has failed, moving user traffic to the protect path of the APS connection, and initiating a wait-to-restore mode including a wait-to-restore time period associated with the first switch. The method also includes, upon termination of the wait-to-restore time period of the first switch, maintaining traffic on the protect path until a message designating the working path is received on the protect path. The method further includes, upon receiving a message designating the working path, switching user traffic to the working path. The APS connection includes the protect path and the working path.

Abstract: A method for networked communications includes receiving, on an inbound port, a frame to be forwarded, mapping the received frame to a flooding domain, determining an inbound port through which a frame is received, wherein the plurality of ports includes the inbound port, determining a destination address of the received frame, and determining one or more of the plurality of ports through which the received frame is to be forwarded. If the line card contains a port that is part of the flooding domain, the method includes populating a forwarding table associated with the line card with information regarding the received frame and information regarding the flooding domain. If the line card contains no ports that are part of the flooding domain, the method includes populating no forwarding tables associated with the line card with information regarding the received frame and information regarding the flooding domain.

Abstract: A method for networked communications includes determining a group identifier associated with a received request for multicast data, determining an available upstream bandwidth and an available downstream bandwidth, adding an entry for the identified group into a multicast forwarding table, allocating bandwidth from the available upstream bandwidth and available downstream bandwidth, the allocated bandwidth corresponding to bandwidth required by the requested multicast data, and forwarding the received request to an upstream network destination. The method includes, if no response is received in response to the received request within a designated timeout period, removing the entry for the identified group in the multicast forwarding table, and restoring the allocated bandwidth to the available upstream bandwidth and available downstream bandwidth.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for dynamically modifying a first bandwidth profile assigned to end user 112 receiving a plurality of services from a service provider. The system and method may include communicating a request for a change in the first bandwidth profile to the service provider via a multicast messaging protocol and receiving a second bandwidth profile assigned to end user 112, the second bandwidth profile reflecting the request for a change in the first bandwidth profile.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a method is provided for communicating multicast traffic. The method may include in response to receipt of multicast control traffic at a network element to be communicated to a protection switching group, communicating the multicast control traffic to each of a working path and a protection path of the protection switching group. The method may also include in response to receipt of multicast control traffic via either of the working path and the protection path, processing the multicast control traffic as if the multicast control traffic was received via both the working path and the protection path.

Abstract: Systems and methods for identifying a fault location in an optical network are disclosed. In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for identifying a fault location in an optical network comprises monitoring, by a network element, an eastward optical path and a westward optical path for faults. The method further comprises transmitting, by the network element, a first data packet along the eastward path and a second data packet along the westward path. The first and second data packets comprise an eastward fault indicator and a westward fault indicator comprising information associated with any eastward or westward faults occurring on the eastward or westward paths. The fault indicators indicate the existence of an eastward or westward fault and the network element that detected the fault.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a switch includes a processor coupled to a memory, one or more forwarding tables residing within the memory, and one or more ports. The one or more ports are associated with a plurality of virtual local area networks. The one or more ports are associated with a plurality of bridge domains. Each of the bridge domains is associated with one of the forwarding tables, and each of the forwarding tables is associated with one of the bridge domains. The processor is configured to assign a first tag to a received packet, the first tag comprising an identification of an active bridge domain, assign a second tag to the received packet, look up the destination address of the received packet in one of the forwarding tables, and if the destination address is not found in the forwarding table, and selectively flood the one or more ports of the active bridge domain with a copy of the received packet. The active bridge domain includes one of the plurality of bridge domains.

Abstract: A network processing unit includes a first table, a forwarding table, and a processor. The first table includes a first entry for a network, including a network aging, which includes the network processing unit. The forwarding table includes a second entry associated with a network entity which includes an indication of whether network traffic associated with the entity has been encountered in the current or previous network aging period. The processor is configured to receive an indication from a hardware timer that a hardware aging cycle has ended, and then determine whether the network aging period has ended. If so, the processor is configured to determine for a first network entity in the forwarding table whether traffic associated with the entity has been encountered in the current or previous network aging period. If not, then the processor is configured to remove the given first network entity from the forwarding table.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system for telecommunications includes a base band unit, a backhaul network, a shared network, a cascaded chain of remote radio heads, and an optical node coupled to the cascaded chain of remote radio heads. The backhaul network is coupled to the base band unit and to the shared network. The cascaded chain includes a first remote radio head coupled to a first set of antennas, a second remote radio head coupled to a second set of antennas. The second remote radio head is coupled to the first remote radio head through the shared network. The cascaded chain of remote radio heads is coupled to the shared network. The second remote radio head is configured to receive signals from the second set of antennas and communicate the signals to the first remote radio head. The first remote radio head is configured to receive signals from the first set of antennas, receive signals from the from the second remote radio head, and transmit the signals to the base band unit.