Abstract: The disclosed apparatus may include (1) a cold plate base that (A) is thermally coupled to a component and (B) includes a set of heatsink fin structures that facilitate absorbing heat generated by the component and (2) a cold plate cover that (A) sits atop the cold plate base and (B) directs a cooling fluid across the set of heatsink fin structures to cool the cold plate base despite the heat absorbed by the cold plate base from the component. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method includes modulating a digital signal via pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) and applying Nyquist shaping to the digital signal to generate a filtered digital signal. The method also includes converting the filtered digital signal into an analog signal and transmitting the analog signal in an optical communication channel via a dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) scheme.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a first input port, a first switch, and a second switch. The first switch and the second input port are in optical communication with the first input port. The apparatus also includes a second input port, a third switch, and a fourth switch. The third switch and the fourth switch are in optical communication with the second input port. Each switch is switchable between a first state to pass optical signals and a second state to block optical signals. The apparatus also includes a first combiner in optical communication with the first input port via the first switch and the second input port via the third switch. The apparatus also includes a second combiner in optical communication with the first input port via the second switch and the second input port via the fourth switch.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention describe apparatuses, optical systems, and methods for utilizing a dynamically reconfigurable optical transmitter. A laser array outputs a plurality of laser signals (which may further be modulated based on electrical signals), each of the plurality of laser signals having a wavelength, wherein the wavelength of each of the plurality of laser signals is tunable based on other electrical signals. An optical router receives the plurality of (modulated) laser signals at input ports and outputs the plurality of received (modulated) laser signals to one or more output ports based on the tuned wavelength of each of the plurality of received laser signals. This reconfigurable transmitter enables dynamic bandwidth allocation for multiple destinations via the tuning of the laser wavelengths.

Abstract: A device receives policy information indicating a policy to be implemented for an application hosted by multiple cloud domains, and receives, from the multiple cloud domains, different application resource tags and addresses associated with the application. The device maps the different application resource tags to a generic identifier, and associates the policy with the generic identifier and with the addresses associated with the application. The device provides, based on associating the policy with the generic identifier and with the addresses associated with the application, the policy to the multiple cloud domains to permit the multiple cloud domains to implement the policy.

Abstract: The disclosed heatsink apparatus may include (i) a base that facilitates thermal transfer between a computing component and cooling airflow, (ii) a plurality of fins, extending from the base, that provide additional surface area to facilitate the thermal transfer between the computing component and the cooling airflow, (iii) at least one channel, defined within the plurality of fins, that facilitates a faster passage of a portion of the cooling airflow across the heatsink apparatus, and (iv) at least one air dam that prevents the cooling airflow from escaping a designated path on a printed circuit board. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: This disclosure describes techniques to generate information of the operational characteristics of a border relay device. For example, a host device transmits a loop-back packet that travels through a forwarding path of the border relay device, rather than a control path, and back to the host device. Based on the host device receiving the loop-back packet, the host device may generate information indicative of operational characteristics of the border relay device.

Abstract: A device, such as an electroabsorption modulator, can modulate a light intensity by controllably absorbing a selectable fraction of the light. The device can include a substrate. A waveguide positioned on the substrate can guide light. An active region positioned on the waveguide can receive guided light from the waveguide, absorb a fraction of the received light, and return a complementary fraction of the received light to the waveguide. Such absorption produces heat, mostly at an input portion of the active region. The input portion of the active region can be thermally coupled to the substrate, which can dissipate heat from the input portion, and can help avoid thermal runaway of the device. The active region can be thermally isolated from the substrate away from the input portion, which can maintain a relatively low thermal mass for the active region, and can increase efficiency when heating the active region.

Abstract: This disclosure describes techniques that include selecting a member port of an aggregation bundle by evaluating utilization of paths, within a router, to member ports of an aggregation bundle. In one example, this disclosure describes a method that includes receiving network data to be output through an aggregation bundle having a plurality of member ports; identifying local member ports; identifying non-local member ports, each of the non-local member ports being reachable from the receiving line card over a path through the switch fabric to a different one of the plurality of line cards; identifying available non-local member ports by determining, for each non-local member port, whether the path through the switch fabric has low utilization; and selecting a member port by applying a hashing algorithm to a group that includes each of the identified available non-local member ports.

Abstract: Optical alignment of an optical connector to input/output couplers of a photonic integrated circuit can be achieved by first actively aligning the optical connector successively to two loopback alignment features formed in the photonic chip of the PIC, optically unconnected to the PIC, and then moving the optical connector, based on precise knowledge of the positions of the loopback alignment features relative to the input/output couplers of the PIC, to a position aligned with the input/output couplers of the PIC and locking it in place.

Abstract: For use in a system including a first data forwarding device, a second data forwarding device, a third data forwarding device, a first communications link between the first data forwarding device and the second data forwarding device, and a second communications link between the first data forwarding device and the third data forwarding device, the first and second communications links belonging to a link aggregation group (LAG), a method includes (1) generating a message (i) for testing a first path between the first data forwarding device and the second data forwarding device, and a second path between the first data forwarding device and the third data forwarding device, and (ii) including an Internet protocol (IP) datagram including a multicast IP destination address and a payload containing path testing information; and (2) sending, over the LAG, the message from the first data forwarding device to both the second data forwarding device and the third data forwarding device.

Abstract: A device may receive a trained data model that has been trained using historical link quality information associated with a set of links. The device may determine, after receiving the trained data model, link quality information associated with a link that is actively supporting traffic. The device may classify the link by using the link quality information as input for the data model. The data model may classify the link into a class of a set of classes associated with measuring link quality. The device may determine an actual quality level of the link. The device may selectively update the class of the link after determining the actual link quality of the link. The device may perform one or more actions associated with improving link quality based on classifying the link and/or selectively updating the class of the link.

Abstract: A disclosed apparatus may include (1) a circuit board and (2) a set of conductive contacts incorporated into the circuit board wherein the conductive contacts (A) include a first positive/negative contact pair that is laid out in a first direction along the circuit board, (B) include a second positive/negative contact pair that is laid out in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction along the circuit board, and (C) facilitate electrically coupling, to the circuit board, at least one communication device that implements a differential signaling scheme. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: Described are various configurations of optical structures having asymmetric-width waveguides. A photodetector can include parallel waveguides that have different widths, which can be connected via passive waveguide. One or more light absorbing regions can be proximate to the waveguides to absorb light propagating through one or more of the parallel waveguides. Multiple photodetectors having asymmetric width waveguides can operate to transduce light in different modes in a polarization diversity optical receiver.

Abstract: In general, techniques are described for provided result reporting via authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA) protocols. An authorization server comprising a control unit may be configured to perform the techniques. The control unit may authorize a network access server to allow an endpoint device to access one or more services in accordance with a network access protocol. The control unit may also request, in accordance with the network access protocol, a result from the network access server as to whether the one or more authorized services are presently provided for use by the endpoint device.

Abstract: A network node may receive a packet having an inner internet protocol (IP) header and an outer IP header. The inner IP header may be encrypted. A loose source routing (LSR) field of the outer IP header may identify a recipient address. The network node may determine, based on the recipient address identified in the LSR field, a tunnel endpoint associated with a receiving network node. The network node may update the outer IP header of the packet to obtain an updated packet with an updated outer IP header. A source address of the updated outer IP header may be updated to a tunnel endpoint associated with the network node, and the destination address of the updated outer IP header may be updated to a tunnel endpoint associated with the receiving network node. The network node may route the updated packet according to the updated outer IP header.

Abstract: A method includes receiving, by processing circuitry of a first network device, an indication of a logical address associated with an interface to a second network device and adding, by the processing circuitry, an entry to a forwarding table of the first network device, the entry in the forwarding table specifying the logical address. The method further includes adding, by the processing circuitry, an entry to a resolver database of the first network device to which the entry in the forwarding table specifying the logical address points and resolving, by the processing circuitry, the logical address to a hardware address of the second network device.

Abstract: A disclosed method may include (1) determining that a packet traversing a network device has been selected for conditional tracing by (A) comparing a characteristic of the packet against a firewall rule that calls for all packets exhibiting the characteristic to be conditionally debugged while traversing the network device and (B) determining, based at least in part on the comparison, that the firewall rule applies to the packet due at least in part to the packet exhibiting the characteristic, (2) tracing a journey of the packet within the network device in response to the determination by collecting information about the packet's journey through a network stack of the network device, and then (3) performing at least one action on the network device based at least in part on the information collected about the packet's journey through the network stack. Various other systems, methods, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: A network device includes one or more processors configured to process, a request, from a subscriber device, via a wireless connection device, for network parameters for accessing one or more services provided by a service provider network, the request for network parameters comprising identifying data associated with a subscriber of the service provider network and output, to a service server, an authentication request for the subscriber device, the authentication request indicating the identifying data. In response to receiving an authentication reply indicating the authentication request for the subscriber device has been approved and a service profile for the subscriber, the one or more processors are configured to output, to the wireless connection device, configuration information corresponding to the service profile for the subscriber and output, to the subscriber device, network parameters for accessing the one or more services provided by the service provider network.

Abstract: A method may include causing a signal to be transmitted that includes a plurality of wavelengths. The signal may be transmitted via an optical fiber that is associated with a particular wavelength. The particular wavelength may be included in the plurality of wavelengths. The method may include filtering the signal, based on the particular wavelength, to generate a filtered signal. The filtered signal may include the particular wavelength. The method may include detecting the filtered signal in association with the optical fiber. The method may include determining the particular wavelength based on the filtered signal. The method may include storing or providing information identifying at least one of the particular wavelength, the optical fiber, or a transmitter that transmitted the signal.