Abstract: A printed circuit board (PCB) may include a plurality of horizontally disposed signal layers. The PCB may include a first vertically disposed differential via electrically connected to a first horizontally disposed signal layer, of the plurality of horizontally disposed signal layers, and a second horizontally disposed signal layer of the plurality of horizontally disposed signal layers. The PCB may include a second vertically disposed differential via electrically connected to the first signal horizontally disposed layer and the second horizontally disposed signal layer. The PCB may include a first set of clearances encompassing the first vertically disposed differential via and the second vertically disposed differential via, a second set of clearances encompassing the first vertically disposed stub, and a third set of clearances encompassing the second vertically disposed stub.

Abstract: The disclosed system may include (1) receiving, at an ingress node within a network, a request to forward a packet along a label-switched path to an egress node within the network, (2) identifying a limit on the number of labels that the ingress node is capable of forwarding within a label stack of the packet, (3) determining that the number of hops within the label-switched path exceeds the limit on the number of labels that the ingress node is capable of forwarding, (4) selecting at least one of the hops within the label-switched path to act as a delegation node that imposes, onto the label stack of the packet, at least one label corresponding to a downstream hop within the label-switched path and (5) forwarding the packet from the ingress node to the delegation node to enable the delegation node to impose the label onto the label stack.

Abstract: In one example, techniques of this disclosure may enable a point of local repair (PLR) network device to signal availability of link protection or node protection to a merge point (MP) network device and enable a network device to actively determine whether or not it is a merge point router. Based on whether or not the network device determines it is a MP, the network device may selectively clean up LSP states when there is an upstream link or node failure. The RSVP-TE protocol may be extended to enable a network device to send a tear down message to a downstream router, which may enable the downstream router to conditionally delete locale LSP state information. In some instances, a PLR network device may directly send a tear down message to a MP network device even though the PLR network device may not have a working bypass LSP.

Abstract: Techniques are described for dynamically distributing entity monitoring assignments to a plurality of monitoring agents. In one example, processors of a co-location facility execute a plurality of network services monitoring agents. A first monitoring agent of the plurality of monitoring agents transmits instructions to a messaging service, causing the messaging service to dequeue, from a queue, a first message of a plurality of messages, wherein the first message describes a first network services entity of a plurality of network service entities. The monitoring agent transmits, to the first monitoring agent, the first message. The first monitoring agent retrieves, from the first network services entity described by the first message, performance and health metrics for the first network services entity. The first monitoring agent transmits, to the messaging service and for transmission to a database of the co-location facility, the performance and health metrics for the first network services entity.

Abstract: In one embodiment, edge devices can be configured to be coupled to a multi-stage switch fabric and peripheral processing devices. The edge devices and the multi-stage switch fabric can collectively define a single logical entity. A first edge device from the edge devices can be configured to be coupled to a first peripheral processing device from the peripheral processing devices. The second edge device from the edge devices can be configured to be coupled to a second peripheral processing device from the peripheral processing devices. The first edge device can be configured such that virtual resources including a first virtual resource can be defined at the first peripheral processing device. A network management module coupled to the edge devices and configured to provision the virtual resources such that the first virtual resource can be migrated from the first peripheral processing device to the second peripheral processing device.

Abstract: An apparatus may include via pads and grid array pads associated with facilitating a connection through a package and to a component, and vias that are electrically connected to the via pads, wherein the vias are used to support high-speed differential signal pairs that are capable of causing crosstalk onto other high-speed differential signal pairs while propagating through the package. The apparatus may include interconnects that electrically connect the vias to the grid array pads, and that are capable of routing the high-speed differential signal pairs in a way that offsets the crosstalk that the high-speed differential signal pairs are capable of causing while propagating through the package. The apparatus may include additional interconnects that electrically connect the vias to additional vias that are to be used to facilitate routing the high-speed differential signal pairs to the component, without the high-speed differential signal pairs propagating through a printed circuit board.

Abstract: The disclosed apparatus may include may include (1) an active power supply blank that (A) fits within a power supply slot of a network device that forwards network traffic and (B) generates airflow that cools the network device and (2) a power interface that electrically couples the active power supply blank to the network device, wherein the power interface enables the active power supply blank to (A) draw electrical power from the network device and (B) generate the airflow that cools the network device using the electrical power drawn from the network device. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: The problem of processing an egress packet by a data forwarding device having (1) a first routing stack associated with a first namespace and a first interface, (2) a second routing stack associated with a second namespace and a second interface, wherein at least some forwarding information included in the second namespace is incompatible with the first routing stack, (3) a virtual routing and forwarding instance (VRF), and (4) a shared session layer socket associated with both the first and second routing stack, and bound to the VRF, where the VRF is associated with the second interface via the second routing stack, is solved by: adding the first interface to the VRF whereby the VRF is associated with both the first and second interfaces; and responsive to the adding of the first interface to the VRF, (1) adding routes from the second namespace to the first namespace such that network address prefixes of the second namespace are associated with a “special” next hop, and (2) flagging the shared session layer

Abstract: A printed circuit board (PCB) assembly may include a component capable of sending or receiving high-speed differential signal pairs, a package that is connected to the component, and a PCB connected to the package. The PCB assembly may be used to support a first high-speed differential signal pair that includes a first differential signal and a second differential signal. The first differential signal may be capable of causing crosstalk onto a particular differential signal, of a second high-speed differential signal pair, while propagating through the PCB assembly. A set of interconnects may be used to intelligently route the first differential signal pair within the package and/or within the PCB. The set of interconnects may include a first interconnect to route the first differential signal away from the particular differential signal and a second interconnect to route the second differential signal toward the particular differential signal.

Abstract: Techniques are described for selecting paths in accordance with service level agreements. For example, spoke and hub routers may advertise routes associated with virtual routing and forwarding (VRF) instances mapped to service level agreements (SLAs). A virtual route reflector of an intermediate router may receive route advertisements and may add respective path communities associated with particular links selected based on link state measurements in accordance with the SLAs. The hub or spoke routers may receive the route advertisements including a respective path community and install the selected path as a next-hop for a given SLA. In this way, spoke and hub routers may forward traffic on links that satisfy particular SLAs such that Quality of Experience (QoE) for an application may be restored or improved.

Abstract: A device may perform dynamic load balancing to identify one or more service devices, of a group of service devices, that is to apply a set of network services to traffic associated with a session of a subscriber device. The device may provide outgoing traffic, associated with the session, to the one or more service devices based on identifying the one or more service devices. The outgoing traffic may be provided to cause the one or more service devices to apply the set of network services to the outgoing traffic. The device may provide, to another device, information that identifies the one or more service devices. The information that identifies the one or more service devices may be provided to cause the other device to provide incoming traffic, associated with the session, to the one or more service devices to apply the set of network services to the incoming traffic.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a memory and a processor operatively coupled to the memory. The processor is configured to partition a set of ports of an optical multiplexer into a set of port groups including a first port group having a first set of ports and a second port group having a second set of ports mutually exclusive from the first set of ports. The processor is configured to associate the first port group with a first router and associate the second port group with a second router. When the optical multiplexer is operatively coupled to the first router and the second router, the first router is operatively coupled to the optical multiplexer via the first set of ports and not the second set of ports, and the second router is operatively coupled to the optical multiplexer via the second set of ports and not the first set of ports.

Abstract: In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a first optical transceiver. The first optical transceiver includes a set of optical transmitters, an optical multiplexer operatively coupled to the set of optical transmitters, and a variable optical attenuator operatively coupled to the optical multiplexer. The variable optical attenuator is configured to receive a control signal from a controller of the first optical transceiver and modulate a signal representing control information with an output from the optical multiplexer. The control information is associated with the control signal and for a second optical transceiver operatively coupled to the first optical transceiver.

Abstract: In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) optical modulator which includes a first phase modulator (PM), a second PM, a tunable optical coupler (TOC), and an optical combiner (OC). The TOC is configured to split a light wave at an adjustable power splitting ratio to produce a first split light wave and a second split light wave. The first PM is configured to modulate the first split light wave in response to a first multi-level electrical signal to produce a first modulated light wave. The second PM is configured to modulate the second split light wave in response to a second multi-level electrical signal to produce a second modulated light wave. The OC is then configured to combine the first modulated light wave and the second modulated light wave to generate a QAM optical signal.

Abstract: In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a processor configured to receive a set of digital samples associated with a set of optical signals received at a coherent optical receiver. The set of digital samples is associated with a set of optical channels. Each optical channel from the set of optical channels is spaced from at least one adjacent optical channel from the plurality of optical channels. The processor is configured to calculate, for each optical channel from the set of optical channels, a spacing between that optical channel and at least one adjacent optical channel from the set of optical channels based on digital signal processing of the set of digital samples. The processor is configured to send a signal indicating, for each optical channel from the set of optical channels, the spacing between that optical channel and the at least one adjacent optical channel.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a system includes a super-channel multiplexer (SCM) and an optical cross connect (OXC) switch. The SCM is configured to multiplex a set of optical signals into a super-channel optical signal with a wavelength band. The OXC switch is configured to be operatively coupled to the SCM and a reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM) degree. The OXC switch is configured to be located between the SCM and the ROADM degree and the OXC switch, the SCM, and the ROADM degree are configured to be included in a colorless, directionless, and contentionless (CDC) optical network. The OXC switch is configured to switch, based on the wavelength band, the super-channel optical signal to an output port from a set of output ports of the OXC switch. The OXC switch is configured to transmit the super-channel optical signal from the output port to the ROADM degree.

Abstract: The disclosed method may include (1) identifying a software update that includes at least one software function that has changed since a previous software update, (2) determining, based at least in part on the software update, one or more call paths that include (A) the software function that has changed since the previous software update and (B) at least one additional software function, (3) mapping the changed software function to one or more test scripts, (4) mapping the additional software function to one or more additional test scripts, (5) identifying at least one test script that is commonly mapped to both the changed software function and the additional software function, and then (6) performing a regression test by executing the test script that is mapped to both the changed software function and the additional software function. Various other systems, methods, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosed apparatus may include (1) at least one communication port that facilitates communication between a source computing device and a destination computing device via a path within a network and (2) a processing unit communicatively coupled to the communication port, wherein the processing unit (A) monitors the network for any changes to the path that potentially affect a maximum transmission unit of the path, (B) detects, while monitoring the network, a change to at least one hop included in the path, and then in response to detecting the change to the hop, (C) identifies a packet size that corresponds to the maximum transmission unit of the path, and (D) tests the path for an increase in the maximum transmission unit by transmitting a packet whose size is larger than the packet size that corresponds to the maximum transmission unit. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention describe apparatuses, optical systems, and methods related to utilizing optical cladding layers. According to one embodiment, a hybrid optical device includes a silicon semiconductor layer and a III-V semiconductor layer having an overlapping region, wherein a majority of a field of an optical mode in the overlapping region is to be contained in the III-V semiconductor layer. A cladding region between the silicon semiconductor layer and the III-V semiconductor layer has a spatial property to substantially confine the optical mode to the III-V semiconductor layer and enable heat dissipation through the silicon semiconductor layer.

Abstract: In one example, a method includes receiving, by a first network device, a route advertisement message including an attribute for upstream allocation specifying a plurality of next hops of a second network device for reaching a network destination, a plurality of forwarding semantics describing forwarding actions and respective attributes of the plurality of next hops, and a field indicating whether the attribute is provided for downstream allocation or upstream allocation. The method includes in response to determining, by the network device, that the field indicates the attribute is provided for upstream allocation: installing, by the network device and based on the forwarding semantics, next hops, forwarding actions, and the next hop attributes; and applying based on the forwarding information, the forwarding actions to network traffic received by the network device and destined for the network destination when forwarding the network traffic to one or more of the plurality of next hops.