Abstract: Measures for processing data in a packet-switched network. A first device is configured to snoop control packets of a predetermined control plane protocol in the network. The predetermined control plane protocol is operated by a plurality of other devices in the network to obtain Layer 2 information on the basis of known Layer 3 information. The first device does not operate the predetermined control plane protocol in the network. At the first device, in response to identifying that a given snooped packet was generated according to the predetermined control plane protocol. Layer 3 information associated with a second device in the plurality is extracted from the given snooped control plane protocol packet on the basis of known Layer 2 information associated with the second device. The second device is connected to the first device.

Abstract: Measures for use in routing data in a data communications network. A request to route data to a given destination in the network is received. A route to the given destination is first selected from a plurality of routes to the given destination stored in a routing table. Routing the data to the given destination using the first selected route is attempted. In response to receipt of an indication that routing the data to the given destination via the first route failed, a second, different route to the given destination is second selected from the plurality of routes to the given destination stored in the routing table. The second selecting includes omitting, for the purposes of the second selection, at least one route to the given destination from the plurality of routes to the given destination stored in the routing table.

Abstract: Measures for use in processing data in a telecommunications network. A request message is received in relation to establishment of a communication session involving a given subscriber. Subscriber configuration data is received in relation to the establishment. The subscriber configuration data includes a set of one or more trigger points at which one or more application services should be invoked in relation to communication sessions for the given subscriber. At least one trigger point from the set of trigger points is encoded into an identifier for the communication session within the request message. The request message including the identifier for the communication session in which the at least one trigger point has been encoded is transmitted.

Abstract: Measures, including methods, systems and non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums, for providing a Domain Name Service (DNS) configuration service for one or more network services provided in a cloud environment. Update data relating to one or more relationship updates that have occurred in at least one of the one or more network services is received. The one or more relationship updates relate to one or more service provision units in a cluster of service provision units deployed in the cloud environment to provide the at least one network service. DNS policy configuration data associated with the at least one network service is identified. On the basis of the identified DNS policy configuration data, data in a DNS configuration data database is updated.

Abstract: A method of initiating a voice call via a dialer user interface on a user device in a telecommunications network is provided. The user device comprises at least a first communication client adapted to communicate via a first part of the telecommunications network and a second communication client adapted to communicate via a second, different part of the telecommunications network. The method includes, at the user device, receiving, via the dialer user interface of the user device, user input from a user of the device associated with initiating setup of a communication session, and selecting a given one of the first and second communication clients to pass the user input to for processing, whereby a communication session setup request is transmitted from the given communication client into the respective part of the telecommunications network.

Abstract: A controller node receives a list of a first plurality of flows programmed on a network switch. The controller node extracts a flow cookie value from a flow cookie data field of each flow in the first plurality of flows on the received list and calculates a session identifier on the basis of the extracted cookie values. At least one add flow command is transmitted from the controller node to the network switch to program a second plurality of flows on the network switch. The at least one add flow command comprises flow cookie values in the flow cookie data fields of each of the flows in the second plurality of flows which are set equal to the calculated session identifier. At least one delete flow command is transmitted from the controller node to the network switch to delete programming of the first plurality of flows on the network switch.

Abstract: Measures, including methods, systems, non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums and computer programs for use in routing packet data. At a network switching device, a data packet is received from a device located upstream of the network switching device. The received data packet comprises routing data associated with a routing decision which has been taken for the data packet upstream of the network switching device. The routing data comprises an abstract media access control (MAC) address corresponding to a next hop destination for the data packet located downstream of the network switching device. At the network switching device, the abstract MAC address in the data packet is replaced with a real MAC address of the next hop downstream destination. At the network switching device, the data packet is forwarded towards the next hop downstream destination.

Abstract: Certain examples described herein relate to configuring a call control context in a media gateway. The media gateway has a set of digital signal processors, each having one or more digital signal processor cores. The cores implement digital signal processor channels that are grouped into digital signal processor contexts. When a request to configure a call control context is received, certain examples described herein are configured to assign a set of digital signal processor contexts to process data streams associated with the call control context. In particular, certain examples described herein couple a first digital signal processor context to at least a second digital signal processor context using at least one digital signal processor channel in each of the first and second digital signal processor contexts.

Abstract: In a telecommunications network including at least a user device and a network node separated by at least a packet-switched part of the telecommunications network, the user device including a primary jitter buffer having a constant packet play-out rate, the network node including a secondary jitter buffer, incoming packets destined for the user device are received and passed through the secondary jitter buffer of the network node downstream towards the primary jitter buffer of the user device. The departure times of packets passing through the secondary jitter buffer of the network node downstream towards the primary jitter buffer of the user device are monitored. On the basis of the monitoring and one or more known characteristics of the primary jitter buffer, an estimate of a current state of the primary jitter buffer is maintained. Operation of the secondary jitter buffer is dynamically controlled according to the maintained estimate.

Abstract: Processing data in a communications system comprising a plurality of servers is provided. First data received from a communications device is directed to a given server in the plurality of servers. A server identifier identifying the given server is transmitted to the communications device. Subsequent data is received from the communications device. The subsequent data comprises the server identifier and a further parameter. The given server is selected on the basis of at least the server identifier and some of the subsequent data received from the communications device is directed to the given server. In the event of a need to redirect subsequent data to a server other than the given server, a different server is selected on the basis of at least the further parameter and further of the subsequent data received from the communications device is directed to the selected different server.

Abstract: Measures for processing data in a packet-switched network. At a first device in the network, a packet transmitted from a second device in the network is received. The received packet comprising an Internet Protocol (IP) address for a third device in the network. On the basis of the IP address for the third device comprised in the received data packet, lookup in an IP routing table of the second device is initiated to obtain a next-hop address for the received packet. The obtained next-hop IP address is determined to be an IP address of a device connected to the first device.

Abstract: A telephony equipment migration arrangement is provided. The telephony equipment migration arrangement includes legacy telephony equipment located in one or more equipment bays, at least one transport cable, with one or more connectors, to provide external carrier connectivity, replacement telephony equipment located in one or more equipment bays remote from the legacy telephony equipment, and at least one remote coupling cable, with one or more connectors, connected to the replacement telephony equipment. The connector(s) of the remote coupling cable are mounted in a location having a predetermined locational relationship with the equipment bay in which the legacy telephony equipment is located, and the transport cable is communicatively coupled to the remote coupling cable.

Abstract: Measures for processing data in a packet-switched network. At a first device in the network, an echo request packet is transmitted into the network. The echo request packet comprises a predetermined identifier. An echo response packet is received from a second device in the network. In response to the received echo response packet comprising the predetermined identifier, the received echo response packet is identified as a packet generated on the basis of an echo request packet originated from the first device, and an Internet Protocol (IP) address comprised in the received echo response packet is determined to be an IP address of the second device.

Abstract: Measures for transferring an established communication session in a telecommunications network, the communication session being established between one of a plurality of communication clients associated with a user and a remote device associated with a remote party. At a call control system located in the signaling path for the established communication session, a communication session transfer request is received from a device associated with the user, the communication session transfer request having been generated by and transmitted from the device. Transfer of the established communication session from the one communication client in the plurality of communication clients to another communication client in the plurality of communication clients is initiated at the call control system. The transfer is conducted on the basis of a preconfigured data set, specific to the user, identifying one or more of the plurality of communication clients associated with the user.

Abstract: Measures, including methods, apparatus and computer programs, for use in operating a network node. At the network node a database of session description protocol (SDP) precondition preference data for a plurality of network elements is maintained. A session initiation protocol (SIP) message directed towards a downstream network element is received. The received message includes SDP data. A lookup in the database in relation to the received SIP message is performed to retrieve SDP precondition preference data for the downstream network element. The received SIP message is processed according to the retrieved SDP precondition preference data. The processed SIP message is transmitted to the downstream network element.

Abstract: Measures for use in operating a network node in a telecommunications network. At a network node located in a second part of the network, signaling messages transmitted between a server and end devices in an at least a first group are monitored. Each monitored signaling message includes a telephone dialing number for a given end device in the at least first group and an extension number for the given end device. On the basis of the monitoring, mapping data is stored which includes mappings between telephone dialing numbers and extension numbers for end devices in the at least first group. In response to detecting a loss of connectivity between a first part of the telecommunications network and the second part of the telecommunications network, extension number dialing request messages received from end devices in the first group are processed according to a detected loss of connectivity operating mode.

Abstract: Each of a plurality of data items has an associated update time. Identifying updated data items comprises identifying those data items that have an update time later than a last synchronization time. The data items are updated such that each data item is associated with one of a plurality of update tokens. Each update token is associated with updates performed up to a respective bound period from a time at which the update token is superseded by a successive update token. The update tokens are allocated successively in a monotonic sequence. Data indicating a last synchronization time is received. An update token is identified that is associated with one or more updates performed relative to a point in time related to the last synchronization time by the bound period. Data items having an update time after the last synchronization time are identified on the basis of the identified update token.

Abstract: Certain examples described herein provide a system and method for validating a routing function for a network device. In one example, a network device has a run-time policy engine, wherein the run-time policy engine implements a routing configuration file and the routing configuration file defines a routing function for network traffic. A file editor is also provided that loads the routing configuration file. The file editor has an editor policy engine that duplicates a functionality of the run-time policy engine. In one example, the routing configuration file has at least one validation portion that has one or more route statements with definitions indicative of expected routing function behavior. The file editor parses the routing configuration file by implementing the routing configuration file using the editor policy engine.

Abstract: Communications equipment associated with a calling party in a telecommunications network has a telephony function for handling telephone calls and a data communication application for handling data communication sessions. The telephony function and the data communication application have an associated first and second user interface respectively. A called party identifier is collected via the second user interface in response to user input at the communications equipment. A telephone call is set up between the calling party and the called party using the telephony function on the basis of the collected called party identifier. Data communication session setup information, comprising information identifying the called party, is transmitted on the basis of the collected called party identifier. The data communication session setup information is for establishing a data communication session separate from the telephone call for the communication of data between the calling party and the called party.

Abstract: Measures, including methods, systems and non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums, for use in processing multicast group membership discovery protocol messages in a data center network including a plurality of compute servers. Each compute server in the plurality is capable of running one or more virtual machines. At a multicast group membership discovery protocol proxy located on a compute server in the plurality, a multicast group membership discovery protocol report message is received requesting delivery of data associated with a specified multicast group from a specified multicast data source. It is determined whether the specified multicast data source is hosted by a virtual machine running on the compute server. In response to a positive determination, a request corresponding to the received multicast group membership discovery protocol report message is forwarded to the virtual machine hosting the specified multicast data source on the compute server.