Abstract: Techniques are described for extending a two-way active measurement protocol (TWAMP) to enable measurement of service key performance indicators (KPIs) in a software defined network (SDN) and network function virtualization (NFV) architecture. The TWAMP extensions enable control messaging to be handled by a TWAMP control client executed on a centralized controller, and data messaging to be handled by a TWAMP session initiator executed on a separate network device. Techniques are also described for extending TWAMP to enable measurement of any of a plurality of service KPIs for a given service supported at a TWAMP server. The service KPIs may include one or more of keepalive measurements, round trip time measurements, path delay measurements, service latency measurements, or service load measurements. The TWAMP extensions for the service KPIs may be used in both conventional network architectures and in SDN and NFV architectures.

Abstract: A first device may receive an indication that a time interval has elapsed. The time interval may indicate a time at which the first device is to provide a rate credit update to a second device. The first device may generate a request for a set of instructions. The first device may provide the request to a third device that may store the set of instructions. The first device may store information associated with the request, and a timestamp of the request, in a first data structure. The first device may receive, from the third device, the set of instructions. The first device may store the set of instructions and the timestamp in a second data structure. The first device may determine whether a threshold amount of time after the time indicated by the timestamp has elapsed. The first device may provide the rate credit update to the second device.

Abstract: Described are various configurations of reduced crosstalk optical switches. Various embodiments can reduce or entirely eliminate crosstalk using a coupler that has a power-splitting ratio that compensates for amplitude imbalance caused by phase modulator attenuation. Some embodiments implement a plurality of phase modulators and couplers as part of a dilated switch network to increase overall bandwidth and further reduce potential for crosstalk.

Abstract: In one example, a gateway device includes one or more processors configured to determine that a subscriber device has started a first application, determine that the subscriber device has ended a second application, and send a message, in accordance with Diameter protocol, to a policy server device indicating both that the subscriber device has started the first application and that the subscriber device has ended the second application. In another example, a gateway device includes one or more processors configured to send at most one message, in accordance with Diameter protocol, to a policy server device indicating that a subscriber device has started an application, and at most one message, in accordance with the Diameter protocol, indicating that the subscriber device has stopped the application.

Abstract: A device may receive, from an ingress device, a packet for a protocol session associated with detecting faults in a path of a network that includes a link aggregation group (LAG). The packet may be encapsulated with a user datagram protocol (UDP) header that includes a dynamically assigned UDP source port identifier. The LAG may include a set of links. The device may select, using the dynamically assigned UDP source port identifier, a link in the LAG to use in the path. The device may provide, using the selected link, the packet to one or more downstream devices to permit a downstream device, of the one or more downstream devices, to determine whether packet timeout has occurred. The device may receive an instruction to maintain the protocol session or to close the protocol session and close the path. The device may provide the instruction to the ingress device.

Abstract: The disclosed apparatus may include (1) a stiffening brace that (A) is coupled to a top surface of a lidless integrated circuit and (B) includes at least one joint and (2) a removable lid that (A) interfaces with the stiffening brace at the joint, (B) temporarily sits atop the stiffening brace during a reflow process in which a bottom surface of the lidless integrated circuit is soldered to a circuit board, and (C) provides structural support to the lidless integrated circuit to impede the lidless integrated circuit from warping during the reflow process. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A network device may receive information associated with a set of member links of the network device. The network device may determine a set of weight values, for the set of member links, based on the information associated with the set of member links. The network device may determine a set of multiplier values, for the set of member links, based on the set of weight values. The network device may generate a set of multiplier tables, for the set of member links, based on the set of multiplier values. The network device may generate an allocation table based on the set of multiplier tables. The network device may generate a resolution table based on the allocation table. The network device may provide, to another network device, network traffic via the set of member links based on the resolution table.

Abstract: In some examples, a computing device comprises a virtual network endpoint; a network interface card (NIC) comprising a first hardware component and a second hardware component, wherein the first hardware component and the second hardware component provide separate packet input/output access to a physical network interface of the NIC, wherein the NIC is configured to receive a packet inbound from the physical network interface; and a virtual router to receive the packet from the NIC and output, using the first hardware component, in response to determining a destination endpoint of the packet is the virtual network endpoint, the packet back to the NIC, wherein the NIC is further configured to switch, in response to receiving the packet from the virtual router, the packet to the virtual network endpoint and to output, using the second hardware component, the packet to the virtual network endpoint.

Abstract: A network device receives, from another network device associated with a first data center, a route update that includes a common virtual network identifier or a first virtual network identifier associated with the first data center. The network device translates the common virtual network identifier or the first virtual network identifier to a second virtual network identifier associated with a second data center, where the second data center is different than the first data center. The network device provides the route update, with the second virtual network identifier, to the second data center.

Abstract: A method and network device to execute an Ethernet Virtual Private Network (EVPN) protocol to configure the network device to participate as one of a plurality of customer edge (CE) routers that provide an active-active configuration for an Ethernet segment coupling the CE routers to a plurality of provider edge (PE) routers, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether a packet that is to be forwarded is an operations, administration, and management (OAM) packet; in response to determining that the packet comprises an OAM packet, replicate the OAM packet for one or more interface links of an Ethernet segment associated with the CE router; configure forwarding instructions to the one or more interface links of the Ethernet segment associated with the CE router; and forward the OAM packet and the replicated OAM packets to the PE routers.

Abstract: A network device operable as a provide edge router is described. The network device comprises one or more processors operably coupled to a memory; a configuration interface configured for execution by the one or more processors to receive configuration data configuring the network device as a provider edge router of an intermediate layer 3 network to provide multi-homed layer 2 virtual bridge connectivity to a customer edge device using an active-standby mode of operation; and a routing process configured for execution by the one or more processors to send, to a remote provider edge router in response to determining the network device is able to send layer 2 packets to the customer edge device, a route advertisement that includes a static route specifying a layer 3 address of the customer edge device as a next-hop for a layer 3 subnet.

Abstract: A hypervisor of a device may receive information that identifies a virtual machine that is to use a universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART) of the device. The hypervisor may map a set of first register addresses, associated with a physical UART port, and a set of variable addresses. The hypervisor may map a second set of register addresses, associated with a virtual UART port of the virtual machine, and the set of variable addresses. The hypervisor may permit the virtual machine to communicate, with a remote device, using the physical UART port based on mapping the set of second register addresses and the set of variable addresses.

Abstract: Techniques are described for automatic discovery of two or more virtual service instances configured to apply a given service to a packet in a software-defined networking (SDN)/network functions virtualization (NFV) environment. Virtual service instances may be deployed as virtual entities hosted on one or more physical devices to offer individual services or chains of services from a service provider. The use of virtual service instances enables automatic scaling of the services on-demand. The techniques of this disclosure enable automatic discovery by a gateway network device of virtual service instances for a given service as load balancing entities. According to the techniques, the gateway network device automatically updates a load balancing group for the given service to include the discovered virtual service instances on which to load balance traffic for the service. In this way, the disclosed techniques provide auto-scaling and auto-discovery of services in an SDN/NFV environment.

Abstract: In some examples, a method includes receiving, by a first ingress network device for a network, a source tree join route message from an egress network device for the network, specifying a multicast source and a multicast group, and in response to receiving the source tree join route message, determining, by the ingress network device, whether the multicast source is multi-homed to the network via the first ingress network device and a second ingress network device for the network. The method includes, in response to determining that the multicast source is not multi-homed, forwarding traffic for the multicast source on an inclusive provider tunnel without initiating setup of a selective provider tunnel to the egress network device, and in response to determining that the multicast source is multi-homed, initiating setup of a selective provider tunnel to the egress network device and terminating forwarding multicast traffic on the inclusive provider tunnel.

Abstract: In one example, a network management system (NMS) is configured to enable a target network device to support a particular network service based on service configuration information for the particular network service. The service configuration information may include information about nodes in a vendor neutral model that need to be added or modified in order to support the particular network service. The NMS determines similarity scores between nodes in a vendor neutral model and nodes in a target device specific model. Based on the similarity scores, the NMS generates a mapping from the vendor neutral model to the target device specific model. Using the mapping, the NMS may configure a target device to support the particular service.

Abstract: The disclosed apparatus may include (1) providing a framework that enables a customer entity of a service provider to configure, via a customer portal, a network device of the service provider that directs network traffic of the customer entity, (2) creating, for the customer entity by way of the framework, a virtual network that includes at least a portion of the network device of the service provider, (3) detecting an attempt by the customer entity to configure at least a portion of the virtual network via the customer portal, and then in response to detecting the attempt by the customer entity, (4) performing a configuration operation that configures the portion of the virtual network as directed by the customer entity via the customer portal. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: Techniques are described for varying a bandwidth constraint at one or more hops along a path of a sub-label-switched path (sub-LSP) of a multi-path label-switched path (MP-LSP). The techniques include computing, by an ingress router, a plurality of paths for a plurality of sub-LSPs of a MP-LSP and outputting, by the ingress router, for each path of the plurality of paths, a respective resource reservation request message to establish a respective sub-LSP of the plurality of sub-LSPs, each respective resource reservation request message including an indication of an explicit route, a tunnel identifier indicating the MP-LSP, an identifier for the respective sub-LSP, an indication of a per-hop bandwidth constraint that corresponds to a respective incoming per-hop bandwidth constraint of the plurality of incoming per-hop bandwidth constraints, and one or more instructions to modify the indication of the per-hop bandwidth constraint.

Abstract: In some examples, an electronic device includes a printed circuit board (PCB) device that includes a first trace electrically connected to a first pad of a first trace via on a first layer and a second trace electrically connected to a second pad of a second trace via on a second layer. In some examples, the PCB device also includes four ground pads on the first layer and an antipad surrounding the two trace vias, where a first ground pad is positioned between the first trace and the second trace, where the first ground pad and the second ground pad are approximately symmetrically positioned about a perpendicular bisector of a line from the first pad to the second pad, and wherein the third ground pad and the fourth ground pad are approximately symmetrically positioned about the perpendicular bisector of the line from the first pad to the second pad.

Abstract: In general, the disclosure describes techniques for communicating multicast group leave requests between two or more load-balanced, multi-homed PE routers included in an Ethernet Virtual Private Network (EVPN). The techniques of the disclosure enable the two or more PE routers to synchronize IGMP state and routing information amongst one another to ensure that the one of the multi-homed PE routers elected as the designated forwarder (DF) ceases forwarding the multicast group traffic to the CE router, even if it is not the PE router that receives the IGMP leave request.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a routing module configured to receive a data unit having a code indicator. The routing module is configured to identify a virtual destination address based on the code indicator. The routing module is also configured to replace a destination address of the data unit with the virtual destination address to define a modified data unit. The routing module is further configured to send the modified data unit.