Abstract: In a telecommunications network in which a threshold crossing alert (TCA) notification is generated when a threshold set for a variable related to an object of a network element (NE) of the network is crossed, there is provided a method of identifying the object, comprising: creating an entry for the variable in an alarm table of the NE, the entry comprising information concerning the identity of the NE and information concerning the position of the entry in the alarm table, constructing a managed object identity (MOID) of the object and storing this in the alarm table entry, using the alarm table entry to generate the TCA notification when the threshold is crossed, the TCA notification comprising the information concerning the identity of the NE and the information concerning the position of the entry in the alarm table, interrogating the TCA notification to read the information concerning the identity of the NE and the information concerning the position of the entry in the alarm table, accessing the alarm

Abstract: A switch. The switch includes a port card. The switch includes a network connected to the port cards. The network having transmitters and receivers that communicate with each other and have assignments between each other. The switch includes a fabric connected to the port card through the network to send and receive fragments of packets to or from the port card. The port card, fabric and network have a plurality of modes of operation. The switch includes a control mechanism connected to the transmitters and receivers which changes the assignments according to the mode. The control mechanism changes the mode and reuses the transmitters and receivers where they can be reused. A method for switching fragments of packets. The method includes the steps of assigning assignments between transmitters and receivers of a network. Then there is the step of transferring the fragments of packets between fabrics and port cards with the transmitters and receivers of the network.

Abstract: A switch for a network. The switch comprises a memory mechanism in which portions of packets are stored. The switch comprises a mechanism for instituting changes to the memory mechanism while the memory mechanism continuously operating on packets. A method for switching packets. The method comprises the steps of receiving changes for a memory mechanism of a switch at a buffer of the switch. Then there is the step of implementing the changes to the memory mechanism when the memory mechanism receives an implementation signal while the memory mechanism continuously operates on packets.

Abstract: A system for enabling the use of network features in a network element is provided. The system comprises a softkey assignment system that is operable to perform operations with respect to at least one softkey, the softkey assignment system being operable to assign a softkey value to the softkey and to update the softkey status to an assigned state upon the assignment of a softkey value to the softkey, the softkey assignment system also being operable to update the softkey status to an unassigned state upon the receipt of a deactivated softkey value for the softkey. The system also comprises a network element. The network element comprises a service module and a softkey validation system. The service module provides a first network features that may be optionally enabled or disabled. The softkey validation is operable to enable the use of the first network feature when a received softkey value is the same as a first valid softkey value.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to an apparatus for manipulating ATM cells. The apparatus comprises a memory array in which an entire ATM cell can be read or written in one read or write cycle. The apparatus is also comprised of a mechanism for reading or writing the entire ATM cell from or into the memory array. The present invention pertains to a method for switching an ATM cell. The method comprises the steps of receiving the ATM cell at a first input port of a switch from the ATM network. Then there can be the step of storing the ATM cell in one clock cycle in a memory array of the switch. Next there is the step of reading the ATM cell in the memory array in one clock cycle. Next there is the step of transferring the ATM cell from the memory array to a first output port of the switch. Next there is the step of transmitting the ATM cell from the first output port to the ATM network. The present invention pertains to a switch for an ATM cell.

Abstract: A dense virtual router packet switching system includes a memory divided into context areas for a set of virtual private routed networks (VPRNs). Each context area includes a routing table and routing protocol state information for a corresponding VPRN. Each of a set of different routing tasks operates with a separate routing table and separate routing protocol state information to realize a corresponding virtual router. Context selection logic selectively couples the routing tasks to the different context areas of the memory to realize a set of virtual routers for all the VPRNs. The system supports a large number of routes by exploiting the segmentation of the VPRNs. Rather than having a single large routing table and associated routing process, which can load hardware resources in proportion to the square of the number of routes in the routing table, routes are distributed among a number of VPRNs having generally smaller tables and correspondingly less processing demand.

Abstract: A switch for switching packets includes a port card which receives packets from and sends packets to a network. The switch includes fabrics connected to the port card which switch the packets. Each fabric has a memory mechanism. Each fabric has a mechanism for determining a length of each packet received by the fabric and placing a length indicator with the packet so when the packet is stored in the memory mechanism, the determining mechanism can identify from the length indicator how long the packet is and where the packet ends in the memory. A method for switching packets having a length includes the steps of receiving a packet at a port card of a switch. Then there is the step of sending fragments of the packet to fabrics of the switch. Next there is the step of receiving the fragments of the packet at the fabrics of the switch. Then there is the step of measuring the length of the packet at each fabric from the fragments of the packet received at each fabric.

Abstract: A switching system. The system includes I input port mechanisms which receive packets from a communication line and have a width, where I is greater than or equal to 1 and is an integer. The system includes O output port mechanisms which send packets to a communication line and have a width, where O is greater than or equal to 1 and is an integer. The system includes a carrier mechanism along which packets travel. The carrier mechanism has a width wider than the width of the input and output port mechanisms. The carrier mechanism is connected to each input port mechanism and each output port mechanism. The system includes a memory mechanism in which packets are stored. The memory mechanism is connected to the carrier mechanism. The system includes a mechanism for providing packets to the memory mechanism though the carrier mechanism from the input port mechanisms.

Abstract: A switch of a network for switching data. The switch includes a fabric for switching the data. The switch includes a connection mechanism connected to the fabric for providing data to and from the fabric. The switch includes a first port card which receives data at a first rate from the network or sends data at the first rate to the network. The first port card is connected to the connection mechanism to send data to or receive the data from the fabric at a connection rate. The switch includes a second port card which receives data at a second rate from the network or sends data at the second rate to the network. The second port card is connected to the connection mechanism to send data to or receive data from the fabric at the connection rate.

Abstract: A redundant control plane for a network device such as a network switch or a router. The control plane is isolated from a data plane for the network device that carries network traffic. The redundant control plane includes first and second Router Control Processor (RCP)/Bridge Hotswap Card (BHC) pairs, and first and second switch cards (SCs). A first RCP/BHC pair is selected as the master and the second pair becomes the master in the event of a failure or the need to perform maintenance on the first pair. Redundant control paths are provided from each RCP/BHC pair to first and second pluralities of line cards to allow for downloading of forwarding tables, control and configuration information. Redundant Switch cards are provided and one of the Switch Cards is selected as the master Switch card to permit communication between the RCPs. The control plane may continue to function in the event of a single failure of any component or bus within the control plane.

Abstract: A method and system for extending a plurality of sub-interfaces of a router port of a wide area network access device to a plurality of user networks using a transport network is provided. The transport network comprises a plurality of network nodes coupled together by one or more data communication paths wherein at least one of the network nodes comprises an access device. The access device includes a plurality of router port extension functional units wherein each router port extension functional unit is coupled to one of the user networks. Each router port extension functional unit comprises a virtual channel agent and a LAN agent. Each router port extension functional units has an associated virtual port, and all of the virtual ports are multiplexed to a single LAN communication port.

Abstract: A switch for switching packets in a network. The switch includes port cards which send packets to and receive packets from the network. The switch includes fabrics connected to the port cards for switching portions of the packets. Each fabric has queues in which portions of packets are stored. Each queue corresponds to one of the port cards. Each fabric has a determining mechanism which determines which queue the portions of the packet should be placed in. The detecting mechanism is dynamic to reflect changes in port card quantity without any change in connection data of the packets. A method for switching packets in a network.

Abstract: A switch for transferring UBR traffic on an ATM network. The switch includes a mechanism for receiving UBR traffic from the network and sending UBR traffic to the network. The switch includes a mechanism for prohibiting a predefined condition in the UBR traffic, the prohibiting mechanism connected to the receiving and sending mechanism. Alternatively, the switch includes a mechanism for receiving UBR traffic in connections from the network and sending UBR traffic in the connections to the network. The switch includes a mechanism for dynamic analysis of the connections of UBR traffic to determine whether the connections have UBR traffic which behaves or which misbehaves. Alternatively, the switch includes a mechanism for receiving UBR traffic in connections from the network and sending UBR traffic in the connections to the network. The switch includes a mechanism for reevaluating connections to determine whether the connections have UBR traffic which behaves or which misbehaves at a predetermined interval.

Abstract: A switch for switching packets. The switch includes a plurality of fabrics which switch portions of packets. The switch includes a port card connected to the fabrics and the network for receiving packets from and sending packets to the network. The port card has a mechanism for tolerating whether any one of the plurality of fabrics has a failure and still sending correct packets to the network. A method for switching packets. The method includes the steps of receiving packets at a port card from a network of a switch. Then there is the step of sending to fabrics of the switch portions of the packets as stripes from the port card. Next there is the step of switching the portions of the packets with the fabrics. Then there is the step of sending back to the port card the portions of the packets as stripes from the fabrics. Next there is the step of sending correct packets with the port card to the network even though one of the fabrics has a failure.

Abstract: A communications network. The network includes a plurality of network elements connected by links along which data flows between the network elements, and which together protect against link failures between the network elements and failures of network elements which would otherwise disrupt the data flow between the network elements. The plurality of network elements include a first network element; a second network element; a third network element; and a fourth network element. The links include an active communications link connected between the first network element and the second network element along which the data travels, and a redundant communications link to the active communications link connected between the third network element and the fourth network element along which the data travels.

Abstract: A system and method for configuring a control plane within a network device. One of a pair of control processors is selected to act as the master of the control plane and the other control processor is specified as a standby control processor in normal operation. In the case of a failover or switchover event, the standby control processor assumes the role of the master of the control plane and updates configuration information within line cards in the network device as necessary. A state machine within the control processor is employed to manage state transitions for the control processor. Each control processor generates at least one signal that indicates whether it is capable of serving as the master of the control plane. Master selection logic selects one of the control processors as the master for the control plane and in one embodiment advertises the identification of the master control processor via triply redundant signals.

Abstract: A buffer storage system is provided for storing groupings of data of varying size. The buffer storage system comprises a buffer storage section and a buffer management section. The buffer storage section has a first buffer subsection and a second buffer subsection. The first buffer subsection includes a plurality of buffer units of a first buffer unit size. The second buffer subsection includes a plurality of buffer units of a second buffer unit size wherein the second buffer unit size is larger than the first buffer unit size. The buffer management section is operable to determine the size of an incoming data grouping and to direct the incoming data grouping to one of the buffer subsections based on the size of the data grouping.

Abstract: A method and system for providing a customer network with high speed access to a carrier network is provided. The system comprises an access device for providing a communication path for the customer network, a first concentrator device that is operable to establish a communication path with the carrier network, and a second concentrator device that is operable to establish a communication path with the carrier network. The access device is operable to receive data traffic from the customer network and to forward the data traffic within the system. The access device and the first concentrator device cooperate to form a first virtual channel for allowing data traffic to flow from the customer network to the carrier network and from the carrier network to the customer network and wherein the first virtual channel is the primary communication channel for the customer network.

Abstract: An electrical terminal and a system of the terminal and a housing is disclosed as an example of the present invention. The electrical terminal and the housing have a number of advantages including being sufficiently stiff to prevent arcing and physical damage to the electrical terminal upon being exposed to surge current/voltage. The terminal includes a contact with a base portion from which two spaced apart arms extend outwardly. First portions of the arms are generally parallel to one another. Second portions of the arms converge toward each other and then flare outwardly along third portions of the arms. At the junction of the second and third portions, there is a contact region formed to receive the lead of a surge protection device. The terminal is enclosed in an opening in the electrically insulative housing, the opening being bordered by walls closely adjacent to the first portions of the arms. The spacing of the walls from the arms is about 0.001 inches on each side of the terminal.

Abstract: A power system having a power factor correction circuit includes a power circuit. The power circuit includes first and second input capacitors, first and second coupled inductors, first and second switches, and an output circuit. The first and second input capacitors form a bank node. The first and second switches are connected to the first and second inductors and the bank node. Likewise, the first an second input capacitors are connected to the first and second inductors. The output circuit is operable to produce an output voltage. A control circuit is operable to monitor the output voltage and produce a switch signal. A drive circuit is coupled to the control circuit and the first and second switches and is operable to operate the first and second switches based on the switch signal.