Abstract: A session border controller includes a first port to communicate with a user using a first signaling protocol, a second port to communicate with a content provider using a second signaling protocol, and a processor coupled to the first and second ports. The session border controller may send a PLAY message to the content provider to begin delivery of a content destined for the user. The session border controller may further receive a first media stream including the content and content provider information from the content provider. The session border controller may further create a second media stream that includes the content without the content provider information, and deliver the second media stream to the user.

Abstract: Methods and devices for managing traffic at a session border controller (SBC) are described. A signal portion of traffic en route from a source in a virtual private network (VPN) to a destination is received. The signal portion has embedded therein an identifier that uniquely identifies the VPN. The identifier is accessed to determine whether the destination is also in the VPN. A decision whether to direct a media portion of the traffic to an SBC is made depending on whether or not the destination is outside of the VPN.

Abstract: Methods and devices for managing traffic are described. Traffic from a source in a virtual private network (VPN) is received. The traffic is directed to a virtual interface that is designated to receive traffic from the VPN. The virtual interface is configured to associate the traffic with an identifier that uniquely identifies the VPN to a session border controller (SBC). The SBC can use the identifier to determine whether the source and the destination of the traffic are in the same VPN.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to exchange resource capability information between two network peers. The signaling protocol is used to encapsulate resource capability information as a datagram within a user-definable data protocol data unit. In an ATM network using the SSCOP signaling protocol, the UD PDU may be used as a transport mechanism for resource capability information that cannot be exchanged via the ILMI protocol. VPI/VCI range information for a partitioned link may be encapsulated as a datagram within the UD PDU and exchange between nodes via the SSCOP. SSCOP UD PDU datagrams may be used in accordance with the present invention to exchange resource capability information between nodes. Alternatively, SSCOP UD PDU datagrams may be used to validate information exchanged via the ILMI protocol.

Abstract: A way to provide connection-based bandwidth utilization is disclosed. A connection is provided between a plurality of clients in the network environment. The connection is between the plurality of clients by a plurality of nodes through a plurality of trunks. The utilization capacity of the plurality of trunks is automatically adjusted using standards-based signaling.

Abstract: An improved mechanism for analysing connection establishment/teardown process or identifying failure points (i.e. nodes) in a PNNI network through the use of a novel debug IE (information element) that is propagated along the communication path for a given connection to activate diagnostic functions on targeted switching devices. The mechanism comprises a method that is initiated by embedding a debug information element (IE) in a data packet that is propagated to various switching devices (the nodes) along the communication path. The debug IE is encoded such that it will be recognized by selected switching devices along the path, but ignored by other non-selected switching devices. Further encoding identifies targeted switching devices that are suspected to be possible failure points to confirm that they are functioning properly.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for dividing a network into clock partitions to limit the overhead created by transmitting clock sources. A clock partition can be implemented through several methods. A first method turns off the clock topology exchange on ports connected to the nodes outside the partition. A second method appends a four-byte partition identifier to network clock distribution protocol (NCDP) messages. A third method uses private network-network interface (PNNI) peer group identification to determine the clock partition group.