Abstract: Alignment-enabled secondary nodes of a DAMA network monitor the alignment of for-transmission data as it is received, and actively align the data frames into encoded blocks such that the number of blocks occupied by encoded data resulting from an unencoded datastream of a particular length is predictable rather than variable. In some embodiments, the network is an Ethernet passive optical network and the alignment includes aligning a XGMII word having a start control code to a first position in a 72 bit word input to a 66B/66B encoder, thereby encoding a start-of-frame (/S/) code to a first byte of an encoded first Ethernet 66b block.

Abstract: A system for redundancy in Ethernet passive optical networks (EPONs) facilitates fast recovery from failure (less than 50 msec), path redundancy of the fiber optic network, and location redundancy of the OLTs. An optical networking unit (ONU) in a normal state monitors input communications, and when the input communications are quiet for a predetermined minimum length of time, the ONU transitions to a lenient state in which: the ONU accepts old and new security keys; upon receiving a packet: the ONU updates an ONU timestamp based on the packet's timestamp; and the ONU transitions to the normal state of operation. While the ONU is in the lenient state if a packet is not received for a predetermined given length of time the ONU transitions to a deregistered state. In this system, main and standby OLTs do not require synchronization of security parameters or synchronization for differences in fiber lengths.

Abstract: Methods for increasing upstream bandwidth utilization in an Ethernet passive optical network (EPON) use in some instances round-down instead of round-up occupancy values reported to an optical line terminal. An optical network unit determines whether the occupancy needs to be round-up or round-down and reports the occupancy in either round-up or round-down report units to the optical network terminal.

Abstract: A method and system is provided for securing communication on an EPON. Particularly different types of encrypted messages, each with a respective short MAC SegTAG, may be sent from the OLT to an ONU and from an ONU to the OLT without need for a full SecTAG with an explicit SCI. Discovery and control messages may be encrypted and a security offset may be less than 30 bytes. A packet header including its MAC address may be encrypted.

Abstract: An OLT allocates a bandwidth budget and assigns upstream transmission order by receiving upstream transmission requests from a plurality of ONUs. Each ONU's request includes a requested guaranteed bandwidth and a requested best effort bandwidth. Each ONU has respective first and second attribute values. One attribute is given allocation priority over the other attribute. One attribute is given scheduling priority over the other attribute. Within each attribute, an allocation rank and a transmission rank is assigned to the possible attribute values. The bandwidth budget is allocated in accordance with the allocation priority and ranks. The upstream transmissions are scheduled in accordance with the scheduling priority and ranks.

Abstract: Systems and methods for bandwidth doubling in an Ethernet passive optical network (EPON) enable an optical line terminal (OLT) to transmit downlink to at least one double rate optical network unit (ONU). The double rate transmission is preferably facilitated by use of single rate devices (OLT and ONU) functionally connected to provide the double rate capability. The methods include packet-by-packet multiplexing, bit-by-bit line code interleaving, doubling an inter-packet gap (IPG) length, defining windows of transmission for different transmission rates, using the 8B/10B code, removing the 8B/10B code from just the downlink transmission and symbol-by-symbol multiplexing is downlink transmissions from the double rate OLT.

Abstract: A method and protocol for dynamic upstream bandwidth allocation to prevent congestion in an aggregation system consisting of multiple PON OLT devices that share a common Service Network Interface (SNI). The method allows OLT devices to communicate real time user traffic load information, and for each OLT to self-throttle upstream throughput based on overall system view of traffic load. The method allows the available SNI bandwidth to be dynamically allocated to OLT ports while maintaining fairness per ONT (user). The method is implemented as a peer-to-peer protocol and does not require central controller resources. The method can be implemented in existing PON systems using software. The method saves the need for expensive dedicated traffic manager devices on the OLT aggregation point.

Abstract: A system and method for power saving in IEEE 802-style and ITU-T G.984-style networks overcomes the limitations of conventional techniques using information from user and network devices for initiating power savings by the user or network device, enabling power savings on links such as optical networks. This innovative technique provides a system and method for communications between user and network devices, facilitating either the user or network device initiating a sleep mode for the user device. The implementation of a sleep mode in a device allows powering down of the device's transmitter and receiver for a specified length of time, during which the transmitter and receiver (also referred to as the physical interface of the device) consume diminished power.

Abstract: In a passive optical network, dynamic bandwidth allocation and queue management methods and algorithms, designed to avoid fragmentation loss, guarantee that a length of a grant issued by an OLT will match precisely the count of bytes to be transmitted by an ONU. The methods include determining an ONU uplink transmission egress order based on a three-stage test, and various embodiments of methods for ONU report threshold setting.

Abstract: An interface between an SFP compliant host device and an SFP PON ONT pluggable module is disclosed. The disclosed interface specification enables implementation of an SFP MSA (INF-8074i) compliant port which can host a PON ONT in a SFP module form factor, while maintaining full backwards compatibility with legacy SFP MSA compliant transceivers. Therefore, a host implemented according to this specification would be compatible with both the SFP PON ONT and any standard SFP MSA transceiver.

Abstract: A method of managing forward error correction (FEC) initialization and auto-negotiation in ethernet passive optical networks includes receiving FEC data from an optical network unit (ONU), and the optical line terminal (OLT) responds to the ONU with FEC data. Upon receiving data not forward error corrected from an ONU, the OLT responds with data not coded for FEC. Similarly, upon receiving forward error corrected data from the OLT, the ONU responds with forward error corrected data; and upon receiving data not forward error corrected from the OLT, the ONU responds with data not forward error corrected. The communications quality from the ONU is monitored, if the communications quality is not sufficient, the OLT transmits forward error corrected data to the ONU; otherwise, the OLT transmits non-FEC data to the ONU.

Abstract: A system for redundancy in Ethernet passive optical networks (EPONs) facilitates fast recovery from failure (less than 50 msec), path redundancy of the fiber optic network, and location redundancy of the OLTs. An optical networking unit (ONU) in a normal state monitors input communications, and when the input communications are quiet for a predetermined minimum length of time, the ONU transitions to a lenient state in which: the ONU accepts old and new security keys; upon receiving a packet: the ONU updates an ONU timestamp based on the packet's timestamp; and the ONU transitions to the normal state of operation. While the ONU is in the lenient state if a packet is not received for a predetermined given length of time the ONU transitions to a deregistered state. In this system, main and standby OLTs do not require synchronization of security parameters or synchronization for differences in fiber lengths.

Abstract: Methods for increasing upstream bandwidth utilization in an Ethernet passive optical network (EPON) use in some instances round-down instead of round-up occupancy values reported to an optical line terminal. An optical network unit determines whether the occupancy needs to be round-up or round-down and reports the occupancy in either round-up or round-down report units to the optical network terminal.

Abstract: An OLT allocates a bandwidth budget and assigns upstream transmission order by receiving upstream transmission requests from a plurality of ONUs. Each ONU's request includes a requested guaranteed bandwidth and a requested best effort bandwidth. Each ONU has respective first and second attribute values. One attribute is given allocation priority over the other attribute. One attribute is given scheduling priority over the other attribute. Within each attribute, an allocation rank and a transmission rank is assigned to the possible attribute values. The bandwidth budget is allocated in accordance with the allocation priority and ranks. The upstream transmissions are scheduled in accordance with the scheduling priority and ranks.

Abstract: A method and system is provided for securing communication on an EPON. Particularly different types of encrypted messages, each with a respective short MAC SegTAG, may be sent from the OLT to an ONU and from an ONU to the OLT without need for a full SecTAG with an explicit SCI. Discovery and control messages may be encrypted and a security offset may be less than 30 bytes. A packet header including its MAC address may be encrypted.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for implementing STP flow control in SAS expander devices. SAS expanders are commonly used within a SAS network topology to allow multiple disk drives to connect to multiple host devices. Connections to a SATA HDD are supported using SATA Tunnelling Protocol (STP), which allows SATA traffic to be carried over a SAS network topology. Flow control in a STP connection is applied through a set of special SATA primitives, both for forward and backward flow control. A method is described herein in which STP flow control is supported without the use of a SATA link layer state machine. This allows STP flow control to be terminated on a hop-by-hop basis without knowing the data channel direction or maintaining a SATA link state machine, and while minimizing gate count.

Abstract: A hybrid balanced code is formed from a low rate (narrow bandwidth) balanced code and a high rate (wide bandwidth) low density code. Data encoded using the hybrid balanced code is transmitted between a first communication network entity and a second communication network entity. The hybrid code enables a system having a hybrid transmitter to transmit either a low rate stream detectable by a low rate receiver or a hybrid stream, from which the low rate data may be detected by a low rate receiver while both the high rate data and the low rate data may be detected by a high rate receiver.

Abstract: A system and method for power saving in IEEE 802-style and ITU-T G.984-style networks overcomes the limitations of conventional techniques using information from user and network devices for initiating power savings by the user or network device, enabling power savings on links such as optical networks. This innovative technique provides a system and method for communications between user and network devices, facilitating either the user or network device initiating a sleep mode for the user device. The implementation of a sleep mode in a device allows powering down of the device's transmitter and receiver for a specified length of time, during which the transmitter and receiver (also referred to as the physical interface of the device) consume diminished power.

Abstract: A data encryption-decryption method for enhancing the confidentiality of data transmitted between two, first and second communication network entities including the steps of: at the first network entity, performing a quadruple-churning operation on a byte N to obtain an encrypted byte N, the quadruple-churning operation including: performing a first churning operation to obtain a first churned output; bit-wise XORing the first churned output with two values to obtain a first XOR result; bit-swapping the first XOR result; performing a second churning and XORing stages to obtain a second XOR result; performing a third churning and XORing stages to obtain a third XOR result; bit swapping the third XOR result; and performing a fourth churning operation on the third bit-swapped XOR result to obtain encrypted byte N; and transmitting the encrypted byte N to the second network entity.

Abstract: A system and/or method for metering and marking packets of data incoming into a communication system having in some embodiments primary and secondary meter selectors, primary and secondary metering processors and a pipeline and wrapper interface controller. Further methods involve measuring an incoming microflow against one or two specified temporal profiles using a two-level metering hierarchy.