Abstract: A technique enables resources to be shared among data flows that may have different senders (sources) and/or different receivers (destinations) in a data network. Identifiers are associated with data flows and used to indicate whether resources may be shared between data flows. The identifiers are carried in signaling messages used to reserve resources for data flows. An existing data flow that is associated with an identifier that matches an identifier associated with a new data flow is allowed to share resources its resources with the new data flow.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a first content delivery network (CDN) receives a request for content from a client device, such as a web browser. The first CDN responds to the client device with a uniform resource indicator (URI) that indicates that a second (or downstream) CDN is to service the request. The URI is encoded with information identifying that the first (or upstream) CDN delegated servicing the request to the second CDN. The client device then requests the content from the second CDN using the received URI. The second CDN services the request and logs the URI in a delivery record. The second CDN may then aggregate delivery records that indicate a particular upstream CDN was the source of delegation and forward those delivery records to the particular upstream CDN for reimbursement for servicing content requests.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present invention, a method includes obtaining a first advertisement at a first provider edge (PE) device from a first customer edge (CE) device that is associated with a virtual private network, and sending a second advertisement on a control plane path associated with a border gateway protocol after obtaining the first advertisement. The first PE device has a routing and forwarding table. The first advertisement identifies a plurality of local routes associated with the first VPN, and includes a first indication that information relating to the plurality of local routes is not to be stored in the routing and forwarding table. The second advertisement identifies the local routes, an address of the first CE device, and the first CE device as a next hop.

Abstract: A technique is provided for one or more network nodes to deterministically select data flows to preempt. In particular, each node employs a set of predefined rules which instructs the node as to which existing data flow should be preempted in order to admit a new high-priority data flow. The rules are precisely defined and are common to all nodes configured in accordance with the present invention. Illustratively, a network node not only selects a data flow to preempt, but additionally may identify other “fate sharing” data flows that may be preempted. As used herein, a group of data flows has a fate-sharing relationship if the application instance(s) containing the data flows functions adequately only when all the fate-shared flows are operational. In a first illustrative embodiment, after a data flow in a fate-sharing group is preempted, network nodes may safely tear down the group's remaining data flows.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an intermediate network device includes a communication facility configured to receive a reservation request message that includes a flow spec object. The flow spec object specifies one or more flow parameters that describe a given traffic flow that desires to pass through the intermediate network device. A flow is configured to compare the one or more flow parameters specified in the flow spec object to one or more constants stored in a memory, to determine a type of traffic of the given traffic flow. The flow analyzer determines the type of traffic independent of any differentiated services codepoint (DSCP) values in packets of the given traffic flow. A traffic scheduler is configured to assign the given traffic flow to a particular per hop behavior (PHB) based on the determined type of traffic for the given traffic flow.

Abstract: A layer-2 virtual-private-network (L2-VPN) service with automatic discovery and connection establishment is provided within a wide-area, multiple-autonomous-system (AS) network according to one of two approaches. In the first approach, inter-AS tunnels are used to connect pairs of provider edge (PE) routers of different ASes, and the PE routers then establish signaling connections to each other which are used to create pseudowires that implement the layer-2 connectivity. A second approach utilizes so-called “pseudowire switching” in which separate pseudowires are created within each AS and between ASes, and then the separate pseudowires are stitched together to form end-to-end connections. The first approach has the benefit of transparent operation provided by the tunnel, while the second approach requires fewer inter-AS signaling connections.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present invention, a method includes obtaining a first advertisement at a first provider edge (PE) device from a first customer edge (CE) device that is associated with a virtual private network, and sending a second advertisement on a control plane path associated with a border gateway protocol after obtaining the first advertisement. The first PE device has a routing and forwarding table. The first advertisement identifies a plurality of local routes associated with the first VPN, and includes a first indication that information relating to the plurality of local routes is not to be stored in the routing and forwarding table. The second advertisement identifies the local routes, an address of the first CE device, and the first CE device as a next hop.

Abstract: An MPLS router operable for labeled switch path (LSP) operation defines a compression index for identifying a decompression context between other MPLS LSP routers. The compression index allows a multipoint-to-point link between MPLS routers, thereby avoiding an exhaustive mesh of point-to-point links between each of the MPLS routers. The originator ID identifies each of the multipoint originating endpoints at a common destination, and maintains the context of each compressed header to match incoming compressed headers to the corresponding header values. The originator ID, typically the IP address of the originator, operates as the compression index on the multipoint-to-point connection, operable to distinguish multiple originators of the multipoint-to-point connection and provide header compression for each.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a technique is provided to share resources among data flows. An apparatus receives a request for a new data flow where the new data flow is associated with a session group (ID). The apparatus determines that the session group ID of the new data flow matches a session group ID of one or more existing data flows, and that the one or more existing data flows are not already sharing resources with another data flow that has a session group ID different from the first session group ID. Provided this is true, the apparatus shares resources reserved for the one or more existing data flows with the new data flow.

Abstract: A system associates multiple discrete traffic flows within a computer network into a group, and allows the traffic flows corresponding to a given group to share a single set of resources. A sourcing entity preferably generates a locally unique resource identifier (ID) for use in requesting a reservation of network resources for a first traffic flow or session. Intermediate network devices within the computer network reserve a set of resources and associate the reservation with the specified resource ID. The sourcing entity may then re-use this same resource ID in a subsequent request to reserve resources for a second traffic flow or session. The intermediate network devices determine that a reservation made by the sourcing entity and associated with this resource ID already exists and, rather than reserve additional or further resources for the second traffic flow or session, share the previously reserved resources between the two traffic flows or sessions.

Abstract: A two phase reservation mechanism for use with computer networks carrying voice or other time or bandwidth sensitive traffic. During the first or “resource allocation” phase, network resources sufficient to support the anticipated voice traffic are set aside within the computer network along the route between the sourcing entity and receiving entity. Although the network resources have been set aside, they are specifically not made available to the voice traffic, until the second phase of the reservation mechanism, called the “resource available” phase. During the resource available phase, the network resources that were previously set aside are now made available to the voice traffic.

Abstract: A system assigns network traffic flows to appropriate queues and/or queue servicing algorithms based upon one or more flow parameters contained in reservation requests associated with the traffic flows. The system may be disposed at an intermediate network device within a computer network. The intermediate network device includes a reservation engine, a packet classification engine, an admission control entity, a traffic scheduler, and a flow analyzer. The flow analyzer includes or has access to a memory that is preprogrammed with one or more heuristic sets for use in evaluating the flow parameters of reservation requests. When a reservation request that includes one or more flow parameters characterizing the bandwidth and/or forwarding requirements of the anticipated traffic flow is received, the flow analyzer applies the heuristic sets. Depending on which set of heuristics, if any, the parameters satisfy, the flow analyzer selects the appropriate queue and/or queue servicing algorithm for the flow.

Abstract: A technique is provided that correctly allocates resources among data flows while taking maximal advantage of resource sharing opportunities. In accordance with the inventive technique, data flows that share the same session group identifier (SGID) are allowed to share resources if no one data flow within the group is sharing its resources with another data flow that has a different SGID. In addition, resource sharing is allowed between data flows that share the same destination provided that none of the data flows are sharing resources with a data flow from another session.

Abstract: A method for operating a router which combines virtual channels is disclosed, where both forward and reverse directed resource management cells are used to control transmission rate of a source computer. The merging router receives forward directed resource management cells from a plurality of upstream routers, where each forward directed resource management cell represents a virtual channel. The router: (1) replies to each upstream router with a reverse directed resource management cell; and (2) forwards to a downstream router a combined forward directed resource management cell, the combined forward directed resource management cell combining a plurality of virtual channels established between the router and the plurality of upstream routers.

Abstract: A merging ATM switch forwards to a common downstream ATM switch ATM data cells that it receives from a plurality of upstream ATM switches. The merging ATM switch may have different upstream ATM switches employ different respective virtual-circuit identifiers for those commonly destined data cells, but it uses a common virtual-circuit identifier in forwarding them to the downstream switch. The upstream ATM switches intersperse among the data cells forward-directed resource-management cells bearing the virtual-channel identifiers that those upstream switches use on the commonly destined data cells. The merging ATM switch responds to such forward-directed resource-management cells by sending corresponding forward-directed resource-management cells to the downstream ATM switch and reverse-directed resource-management cells to the upstream ATM switches.