Abstract: A method for monitoring the operating temperature of an item on a card shelf having a plurality of discrete electronic cards includes receiving a measured temperature for an item on a card shelf that is indicative of an operating temperature of the item. The method also includes determining whether the item is operating above a specified limit using the measured temperature and information stored in a memory that relates the measured temperature to the operating temperature of the item. Furthermore, the method includes determining whether there has been a restriction of air flow through the card shelf in response to determining whether the item is operating above a specified limit.

Abstract: A method and system for forwarding packets within containers in a data communication network. Each container may include packets or additional containers. Packets/containers are stored within containers in a predetermined format that includes a Type field, a Length field and a Value field. The Type field includes an indication whether the respective packet/container is the last packet/container in the respective sequence. The Length field specifies the Length of the following Value field and the Value field comprises the payload, which may comprise additional packets or containers. A header, such as an MPLS shim header, is applied to containers to be transmitted over the network. Containers are closed and scheduled for transmission once when it is determined that the addition of a packet/container to the overall container would exceed a predetermined maximum container size or when a timer measures a predetermined time period from the arrival of the first packet within the container.

Abstract: A method and system for communicating traffic on an emulated subnetwork of a telecommunications ring having a plurality of nodes interconnected by a transmission media includes obtaining traffic at a node on the telecommunications ring. The traffic is segmented into a plurality of discrete segments. A set of broadcast cells is generated by adding an address header to each segment. The address header identifies a virtual channel dedicated to the node on the subnetwork in the telecommunications ring. The set of broadcast cells are transmitted in the virtual channel of the subnetwork and within a frame of the telecommunications ring. At each remaining node on the telecommunications ring, in response to receiving the set of broadcast cells in the virtual channel, both retransmitting and processing the broadcast cells.

Abstract: A system is provided for providing a protection path for connection-oriented signals in a telecommunications network comprising a plurality of nodes. The system includes a source node, a destination node and a penultimate node. The source node is operable to transmit traffic. The destination node is operable to receive traffic from the source node. The penultimate node is operable to receive traffic from the source node, to transmit traffic directly to the destination node, to designate one of the nodes as a reflector and to generate a first segment of a protection path from the penultimate node through the reflector to the destination node.

Abstract: An optical modulator for generating an optical information signal includes a first modulator that modulates an optical carrier with a clock signal. The optical modulator further includes a filter that suppresses a residual carrier component of modulated optical signals. In addition, the optical modulator includes a second modulator for modulating an optical signal with a non-return to zero data signal. When combined, the first and second modulator and the filter operate to transform an optical carrier signal into an optical information signal that is highly tolerant to dispersion and non-linear effects in optical fibers.

Abstract: A method for protection switching includes receiving an optical signal from a transponder coupled to a client and optically splitting the signal to a first output and a second output. The first output is coupled by a first optical add-drop multiplexer to a first optical fiber, and the second output is coupled by a second add-drop multiplexer to a second fiber. The method further includes selecting one of the output signals for the working channel, and communicating the selected output signal to an optical network. During communication of the selected output signal to the optical network, the method includes monitoring for a failure condition in the optical network and, if the failure condition is detected, selecting the other output signal as the working channel and communicating the new selected output signal.

Abstract: A serial bus communication system for communication across the backplane of a node includes a control unit having a serial bus controller operable to convert between parallel signals and serialized signals. A plurality of service units each include a serial bus terminator. A serial bus includes a discrete serial channel for each service unit. The serial channel connects the serial bus terminator to the serial bus controller. The serial bus controller is operable to direct a message for a service unit on the serial bus to only the serial channel of the service unit.

Abstract: In an ATM communications system, a cell entering a switch fabric input port is routed to its destination output port and to a predetermined dedicated second output port. The second output port is connected by a feedback connection to a predetermined dedicated second input port. The cell can then be either switched to the same destination output port or switched to both the same destination output port and the predetermined dedicated second output port, thereby providing the ability to execute a logical multicast with any number of leaves to the destination output port.

Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a map of transmission slots for a port of a network element includes a plurality of hierarchical sets of port transmission slots. The hierarchical sets include a plurality of parent sets. Each parent set has its port transmission slots divided between a plurality of child sets. The child sets include interleaved port transmission slots.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling the gain of the amplification of an optical signal is provided that includes both electrical feedforward and feedback. In a feedforward portion of an optical amplifier, the method includes receiving an optical signal and measuring an input power. Based on the measured input power and a desired gain, a feedforward pump power is determined. The pump power is adjusted based on the determined pump power. In a feedback portion of an optical amplifier, an output power is measured and gain is determined based on the output power and the measured input power. The measured gain is compared to a desired gain and the pump power is adjusted based on that comparison.

Abstract: A network element management system in which network elements can be grouped, and viewed and manipulated by groups. This provides both greater ease of use and faster response.

Abstract: An element management system in which: a list of fully-qualified versions of network elements is maintained, and the interface to each network element is managed in accordance with the highest fully-qualified version which is no later than the network element's actual version date, EVEN IF there is also a fully-qualified later version. By specifying a “managed level” which is fully qualified and is guaranteed not to be later than the actual revision of the network element, the possibility of hidden incompatibility is reduced. (Network elements are expected to be backwards compatible, but the addition of features may introduce some hidden forward incompatibility.

Abstract: A new capability for managing complex cross-connects: instead of flipping through multiple windows to find the desired link, the operator can simply specify the endpoints. The system will then find the connect which links these endpoints, and bring it to the top (or make it visible).

Abstract: A network element management system which can exploit the customized interface features of a variety of versions of a variety of complex system products from a variety of manufacturers. This is done by maintaining a meta-model, which is not itself a model until instantiated, of the possible known product configurations to be interfaced to. Once the meta-model is instantiated, it provides configuration parameters which the interface program uses to build a correct configuration for the management and/or monitoring interface. This is particularly advantageous in the preferred embodiment of a telecommunications network element management system, but also has potential applicability to other large “supersystem” applications.

Abstract: A method for monitoring the operating temperature within a card shelf having a plurality of discrete electronic cards includes receiving a first temperature indicative of an operating temperature of an item on one of the electronic cards. A second temperature indicative of an ambient temperature in which the electronic card is operating is also received. Based on the first and second temperatures, a temperature controller determines whether the item is operating within specified limits.

Abstract: The invention includes an automated method for instantiation of a plurality of registers within an integrated circuit or integrated circuit device, including the computer-implemented steps of defining a programming language having a plurality of keywords identified with the plurality of registers, creating a control file describing the plurality of registers using the defined programming language, providing a compiling program compatible with the control file, and executing the compiling program to generate from the control file a first set of synthesizable codes containing information on traits of each of the registers. Preferably, the synthesizable codes include RTL codes. In a further embodiment, the invention includes executing the compiler program for generating an address decoder module operative n conjunction with the first set of synthesizable code through a top-level module for instantiation of the address decoder module and the plurality of registers.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring and maintaining a communication network include the capability to determining connection and configuration parameters of network elements. The system and method also include the capability to monitor performance characteristics of network elements to recognize faults within the communication network.

Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a network element comprises a first subsystem operable to receive management transactions in a first management protocol and to map the transactions to a common management protocol. A second subsystem is operable to receive management transactions in a second management protocol and to map the transactions to the common management protocol. A common management information base (MIB) includes a dataset and a common interface to the dataset. The common interface is operable to access the dataset to process transactions received from the first and second subsystems in the common management protocol.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method of transmitting an optical signal. This signal is transmitted through an optical fiber 12 (24) and is amplified by an optical amplifier 14 (22). The signal is then provided to an arrayed waveguide grating 16 (20). The arrayed waveguide grating 16 (20) has a wavelength-dependent optical amplitude response characterized in that the wavelength having the peak optical amplitude is different than the center channel wavelength of the signal. In some instances, this may result in a situation where the total tilt effect for the optical fiber 12 (24), the optical amplifier 14 (22) and the arrayed waveguide grating 16 (20) is less than the total tilt effect for the optical fiber 12 (24), the optical amplifier 14 (22) and an arrayed waveguide grating with a standard wavelength-dependent optical amplitude response where a signal at the center channel wavelength corresponds to the peak optical amplitude of the arrayed waveguide grating.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for switching redundancy control which provides fast switching from a malfunctioning component to a redundant component with minimum data flow interruption for both transmitted and received data. The redundancy control system having an APS (Automatic Protection Switching) Hub, at least a working and a redundant tributary card, a bridge to provide identical traffic to the working and redundant tributary cards, a working and a redundant STM switching fabric, selectors within the working and redundant STM switching fabrics for selecting the traffic from the working tributary card to further process, a working and a redundant ATM switching fabric, a working and a redundant ATM processor and ATM selectors for selecting traffic needing cell switching from the working STM switching fabric to process further.