Abstract: A node (110) for an MPLS telecommunications network has interfaces (100) for OAM information exchange relating to a path for data traffic, between first and second other nodes each operating according to different OAM state machines for OAM information exchange. An OAM state machine mapper (120) maps the states of either of the different OAM state machines of the first and second other nodes into states recognized by the other of the different OAM state machines. OAM information exchange is according to either the first or the second OAM state machine and according to states mapped from the other of the OAM state machines, to support the path for data traffic through the node. By such mapping of the different states OAM information can be exchanged across corresponding boundaries and so paths no longer need to be terminated at the boundary to enable end to end operations.

Abstract: A method of deriving an indicator of the signal quality in an in-service packet-based network at least having means to detect errors in packets and means to determine the overall amount of network traffic received. The method comprises the steps of: obtaining a value of the number of packets received having errors therein; obtaining a value of the overall amount of the network traffic received; calculating the indicator of signal quality (eBER) using the ratio of the number of packets received having errors therein to the overall amount of network traffic received.

Abstract: A node (110) for an MPLS telecommunications network has interfaces (100) for OAM information exchange relating to a path for data traffic, between first and second other nodes each operating according to different OAM state machines for OAM information exchange. An OAM state machine mapper (120) maps the states of either of the different OAM state machines of the first and second other nodes into states recognised by the other of the different OAM state machines. OAM information exchange is according to either the first or the second OAM state machine and according to states mapped from the other of the OAM state machines, to support the path for data traffic through the node. By such mapping of the different states OAM information can be exchanged across corresponding boundaries and so paths no longer need to be terminated at the boundary to enable end to end operations.

Abstract: A telecommunication network comprising a plurality of nodes including a content source (2) and at least one content receiver (3), the content source and the or each content receiver being connected via at least one switch node (4, 5, 6), and wherein the content source (2) is adapted to provide content that is associated with a multicast address to the at least one content receiver (3) using multicast communication. The network further comprises a content bandwidth indication generator node (3, 6, 7), the generator node being adapted to include an indication of the bandwidth requirement of the content supplied by the content source (2) along with the corresponding multicast address within a multicast protocol message (20, 60). At least one of the switch nodes (4, 5, 6) is adapted to extract said indication from the multicast protocol message and control the flow of content in response to said indication of the bandwidth requirement.

Abstract: A method of deriving an indicator of the signal quality in an in-service packet-based network at least having means to detect errors in packets and means to determine the overall amount of network traffic received. The method comprises the steps of: obtaining a value of the number of packets received having errors therein; obtaining a value of the overall amount of the network traffic received; calculating the indicator of signal quality (eBER) using the ratio of the number of packets received having errors therein to the overall amount of network traffic received.