Abstract: Frames of customer traffic may be encapsulated by adding Mac-in-Mac (MiM) encapsulation fields for transportation of the frames over a portion of provider network. The MiM encapsulated traffic may be further encapsulated using VPLS by adding VPLS encapsulation fields for transportation of the frames over another portion of the provider network. The MiM encapsulations use provider network MAC addresses which enables VPLS MAC learning to occur using provider network MAC address space. MiM tunnels are mapped to VPLS service instances which are assigned pseudowire tags for transportation over the VPLS portion of provider network. The MiM header is retained when the MiM encapsulated frames are transported over the VPLS portion of the provider network. As VPLS frames exit the core network, the VPLS encapsulation fields are removed to extract the original MiM encapsulated frames for further transportation over the MiM portion of the provider network.

Abstract: A method for responding to a failure of hardware locus of at a communication installation having a plurality of control apparatuses for controlling a plurality of processes distributed among a plurality of hardware loci, the hardware loci including at least one spare hardware locus, includes the steps of: (a) Shifting control of a failed process from an initial control apparatus to an alternate control apparatus located at an alternate hardware locus than the failed hardware locus. The failed process is a respective process controlled by the initial control apparatus located at the failed hardware locus. (b) Relocating the respective control apparatuses located at the failed hardware locus to a spare hardware locus. (c) Shifting control of the failed process from the alternate control apparatus to the initial control apparatus relocated at the spare hardware locus.

Abstract: Nodes on a link state protocol controlled Ethernet network implement a link state routing protocol such as IS-IS. Nodes assign an IP address or I-SID value per VRF and then advertise the IP addresses or I-SID values in IS-IS LSAs. When a packet is to be forwarded on the VPN, the ingress node identifies the VRF for the packet and performs an IP lookup in customer address space in the VRF to determine the next hop and the IP address or I-SID value of the VRF on the egress node. The ingress node prepends an I-SID or IP header to identify the VRFs and then creates a MAC header to allow the packet to be forwarded to the egress node on the link state protocol controlled Ethernet network. When the packet is received at the egress node, the MAC header is stripped from the packet and the appended I-SID or IP header is used to identify the egress VRF.

Abstract: The present invention solves these problems with a new proxy binding update request and proxy binding acknowledgment messages having new indicators and identification information. Namely, the home agent/local mobility anchor will exchange proxy binding update messages and proxy binding acknowledge messages that include information such as mobile node identification (MN-ID), home network prefix (HNP), but can also include selective information fields such as, access type, handover indicator (HO), and interface identification (interface ID) By including new access type, indicator, and identification information, the local mobility anchor can respond to a binding update request message with a better understanding of the new connectivity request from the mobile node.

Abstract: A distributed hash table is implemented to store routing information on a network. Node IDs exchanged in connection with implementation of a link state routing protocol are used as keys in the distributed hash table, and routes are stored at one or more nodes on the network. When a route is learned, the route is processed against the set of keys to determine which nodes should store the route. When a route is needed, the route is processed against the set of keys to determine which nodes should have the route information. The manner in which the route is processed against the set of keys is the same in both instances, so that the DHT may be used to store and retrieve route information on the network. The DHT may be implemented to store MAC addresses, IP addresses, MPLS labels, or other information of interest to enable routes to be stored and learned by network elements on the network.

Abstract: Provided is a method and apparatus for segmenting packets into cells of variable sizes in order to facilitate the parallel transport of data symbols common to a single packet through a composite medium made up of a number of lanes. According to the invention the method of segmenting packets results in cell sizes that efficiently use the available capacity and minimize the complexity of any additional apparatus required in the receivers used to reassemble the packets from the variable-sized cells. Additionally, the invention could be advantageously combined with the Generic Framing Procedure (GFP) as defined in ITU-T G.7041/Y.1303 that was ratified December 2001.

Abstract: A network image fusion service is provided that is configured to receive a plurality of image data and to execute at least one image fusion processes in both software and hardware. The image fusion process logic has been divided between instructions to be executed in software and logic to be executed in hardware. The software instructions may be executed by a processor within the network element or in a processor associated with network service. The hardware logic is executed in a reconfigurable programmable logic device such as an FPGA. The network service may be included within the network element, be separate from a network element but associated therewith, or may be external to the network and accessible by a plurality of network elements.

Abstract: VPN tunnels may be established from a wireless user through a wireless network without requiring the wireless user to have a relationship with the wireless network. Instead, the wireless user interfaces with an authentication, authorization, and accounting service on a VPN host network. This allows the wireless user to sign on once to gain admittance to both the wireless network and the VPN host network. The VPN host network is able to establish accounts on various wireless network providers to alleviate the need for wireless users to have individual accounts with the wireless providers. Additionally, a wireless access point on the wireless network serves as a VPN gateway to interface between an encrypted session on the wireless network and a VPN tunnel formed between the wireless access point and the VPN host network. This allows the wireless access device to participate in a VPN tunnel without instantiating a VPN client.

Abstract: Redundant wireless links in a meshed backhaul network may be used to improve quality of service on the backhaul network by confining knowledge of the duality to the attached network elements. Globally, an aggregate bandwidth of the redundant wireless links may be advertised to allow network level routing to treat the redundant links as a single logical link. At the link level, however, the network elements may differentiate between different types of traffic to provide preferential service to particular types of traffic. By using different physical links within the logical link for particular types of traffic, the quality of service for that type of traffic may be improved by not causing different types of traffic to compete for the same bandwidth. The redundant links may be interfaced using a tower network including a radio accessed router optionally powered using solar power, to isolate the tower network from ground equipment.

Abstract: External resources may be interfaced with a network element using an intelligent interface including an independent processing environment to enable the operational capabilities of the network element to be enhanced. The intelligent interface may serve as an interface to external resources such as network software repositories, storage servers, logging facilities and security services. By providing an intelligent interface, it is possible to interface external resources and enhanced services to the network element while allowing processing requirements to be offloaded to an external device or to the intelligent interface itself, so that the resources of the network element may be more fully utilized to perform network operations such as switching and routing functions. The intelligent interface also enables new resources to be made available to the network element when they are needed. An external communication port of the intelligent interface may be configured to operate using one of the USB standards.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving power over optical fiber is disclosed. In particular, a power over fiber system in which an optical network transmits electrical power via an optical signal and is also transmits data within the optical network as well. The optical signals include a high frequency data portion that includes the data to be transmitted, and either a constant or low frequency power signal portion. The optical signal is received and converted into an electrical signal by a photodetector/photodiode that is electrically filtered to separate the data signal from the power signal. The data signal is then processed using known techniques. The power signal can be conditioned and/or regulated, if necessary, and provided either directly to a terminal piece of equipment to provide all the required power thereto, or may be combined with locally provided power to contribute at least a portion of the power required by the equipment.

Abstract: A system, device, and method for supporting multiple virtual private networks in an MPOA/NHRP communication network involves encoding a Virtual Private Network (VPN) identifier in certain MPOA/NHRP control messages in order to associate those MPOA/NHRP control messages with a particular VPN, and using an in-band signaling technique to add/remove VPNs to/from a connection. Packets from multiple VPNs are multiplexed over the connection. Each packet is associated with a particular VPN. If packets do not inherently include information from which the VPN can be ascertained, then a VPN identifier is encoded in the packet. The VPN identifier may be encoded in the packet via a tagging mechanism, in which each VPN is associated with a unique tag, and a tag is included in each packet. The VPN identifier may alternatively be encoded in the packet by including the VPN identifier in the packet, for example, in a header (such as an LLC/SNAP header) within the packet.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for defining optical broadband services on an optical communication network enables broadband optical services to be built from basic service building blocks. According to an embodiment, a service definition software platform includes the ability to specify multiple aspects of optical broadband service to enable the optical broadband services to be defined according to optical service building blocks, gathered into service offering sets, and grouped into service groupings. Individual service offerings can then be built from the basic building blocks and from the service offering sets. By enabling the services to be broken down into building blocks that can then be used to define service sets and groups of services, service providers are more effectively able to market optical broadband services as network products. Additionally, the ability to group particular types of services together enables new types of optical broadband services to be created and offered.

Abstract: The Intelligent Multiservice Access System (IMAS) enables support for the next generation of virtual connections. Regardless of whether the communications lines coupled to the inputs and outputs of the IMAS are based on SVC, PVC, or a combination of PVC and SVC, the IMAS can support SVCs for a more flexible, timely, efficient, and manageable connection. In the more typical configuration, the loop side of the IMAS is PVC-based because the modems do not support SVC signaling, and the telecommunications backbone side is capable of supporting SVC signaling even though existing DSLAMs do not employ SVC signaling logic. With SVC support, the IMAS assists the ATM network in hand crafting an SVC-based connection almost immediately between end users when the originating end user wants to make a call to a destination end user, and tear down that virtual connection almost immediately when that call has completed.

Abstract: Transparent redundancy may be achieved at a MPLS-MPLS hierarchical boundary or a BMA-MPLS hierarchical boundary by utilizing local repair mechanisms extant in each domain to select automatically the same boundary network devices as the primary and secondary boundary network devices. In the MPLS domain, two LERs advertise the ability to forward traffic to a phantom LER and map all traffic originated into that domain as having been on a path originating at the phantom LER. This will cause the LERs to appear as being one hop away from the phantom LER, causing MPLS to assume the real LERs are part of a LSP terminating at the phantom LER. MPLS local repair will thus establish one of the LERs as the primary LER and the other LER as the secondary LER. In an Ethernet domain, each boundary network device is treated analogously to a router in the VRRP scheme for routers.

Abstract: A low data rate wireless channel (control channel) is associated with a high speed wireless channel (data channel). The data channel is divided into discrete code or time slots (access slots), that are unassigned to any particular recipient or user until requested. In the event that a particular user requires a particular resource, access slots are requested through the control channel, allocated to the user, and allocation information is passed back to the requesting user through the control channel. Direction and/or location information associated with the user is ascertained, through messaging with the user or by antenna sensing. This direction/location information is utilized to directionally broadcast requested resources toward the user to increase signal to noise ratios, reduce interference, and enable spectrum reuse within a cell. Optionally, the location information may also be used to adjust the transmitted power to further reduce interference in the cellular network.

Abstract: There is an increasing need for many media gateway nodes to be used in enterprise networks. These media gateway nodes are typically connected behind a network address translator (NAT) which connects the enterprise network to a public communications network. Communication between the access nodes and a service provider network, which is also connected to the public network, is needed to provide communications services to end users. However, as the number of media gateways increases problems arise associated with increased traffic, complexity and use of resources at the NAT and at the service provider network. A solution is presented whereby a node is used to represent the media gateway nodes in the enterprise network.

Abstract: A personal communications portal maintains presence information about a user who may be available at one or more terminal devices on one or more access networks comprising a multiple access network. The access networks may operate in different transmission modes and may utilize different signaling formats (text, graphics, voice, video, etc.). A watched party specifies preferences as to who may contact him, at what times, on what kind of network and device. A watching party requesting to contact the watched party may be given direct contact information for contacting the user, may be given indirect contact information for contacting the user without being informed of the watched party's whereabouts, may be placed directly in communication with the watched party, or may forward a message to the user.

Abstract: A passive optical network suitable for use as a telecommunications access network, having a head-end transmitting in a first optical frequency and one or more subscriber stations transmitting on a second common optical frequency. A carrier sense, multiple access protocol, with collision detection, is used, the collision detection being performed in the subscriber and head-end stations.

Abstract: It is becoming increasingly important to improve data throughput in wireless networks. By transmitting data simultaneously at different modulation amplitudes and/or using different code strengths, terminals having different carrier to noise ratios are able to decode the different amplitude levels with varying degrees of success. This allows distant terminals to receive low data rate transmissions at high modulation levels or code rates while nearer terminals can use additional capacity in the transmission by receiving lower level modulation signals or code rates. In this way, distant terminals do not degrade overall network performance. By arranging for terminals to acknowledge receipt of data, retransmission at different modulation levels or code rates may be carried out by the base station in order to improve performance in the presence of noise without a priori knowledge of the carrier to noise ratio for a particular terminal.