Abstract: Presented herein are techniques that transform a recipient's cells into active cells. More specifically, the techniques presented herein transfect optically-sensitive elements into the cells. The optically-sensitive elements may cause the nerve cells to fire or activate (i.e., generate an action potential) in the presence of electromagnetic radiation, or may prevent the nerve cells from firing or activating in the presence of electromagnetic radiation.

Abstract: Converting video information from a first compression format to a second compression format, including receiving data for a sequence of pictures in the first compression format, the received data including a video stream corresponding to a video program and including for a picture that is inter coded motion vectors and quantized transform coefficients of residuals of motion compensated inter-coded blocks. The converting also includes extracting auxiliary information including one or more auxiliary data elements from the received data; and transcoding from the first compression format to the second compression format, including carrying out motion estimation for blocks of image data in the second compression format. Carrying out motion estimation for blocks of image data in the second format includes using the auxiliary information to ascertain whether to use a first motion estimation method or a second motion estimation method different from the first motion estimation method.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example and includes receiving a request for a service from a requestor, an determining at least a first network element and at least a second network element required to satisfy the request from among a plurality of network elements. The method further includes triggering a coordinating of a work flow between the first network element and the second network element responsive to the request. The method still further includes translating communication messages exchanged between the first network element and the second network element from a first communication protocol format and a second communication protocol format.

Abstract: System, method, and computer program product to route data communications based on non-routing criteria, by receiving, by a network element, a data packet, identifying, in a routing table of the network element, a first route for routing the data packet, computing, by an application executing on the network element, a routing score for the first route based on one or more non-routing criteria, computing, by the application, a routing score for a second route for routing the data packet based on the one or more non-routing criteria, and upon determining that the routing score for the second route is less than the routing score of the first route, updating the routing table to cause the network element to route the data packet according to the second route.

Abstract: A network node may contain a virtual software-defined networking (SDN) switch and a local a management engine (e.g., a software application) for generating performance metrics based on received management plane traffic. Specifically, the virtual SDN switch may identify and forward received management plane traffic to the local management engine. In turn, the management engine evaluates the management plane traffic to generate performance metrics without forwarding the management plane packets to the remote SDN controller. The management engine may compare the metrics to one or more thresholds to determine the current state or health of the data paths in a network. If a threshold is exceeded, the management engine may transmit an alert to the virtual SDN switch to perform a corrective action—e.g., using a backup data path after the primary data path fails.

Abstract: A device including a port barrel, a ball spring, a first enclosure part, and a mounting plate disposed adjacent to the first enclosure part is disclosed. The mounting plate includes a mounting hole. The port barrel is arranged to extend through the mounting hole, and the ball spring is arranged between an inner surface of the mounting hole and an exterior surface of the port barrel.

Abstract: An Optical Transport Network (OTN) frame comprises an optical channel payload unit that is divided into a plurality of timeslots. This OTN frame is received at a transmitter and the timeslots are grouped into blocks of timeslots. Two or more blocks of timeslots are selected for encryption and are encrypted/authenticated in parallel to generate an encrypted OTN frame in which only certain blocks of timeslots are encrypted.

Abstract: A network device receives a packet that includes a plurality of sets of fields. Sets of fields of the packet are parsed and the field sets are evaluated as soon as they are available to determine whether a processing decision can be made on the packet. Additional field sets may be parsed from the packet and obtained in parallel with determining whether a processing decision can be made, but once it is determined that a processing decision can be made, the evaluating of field sets is terminated such that any further field sets of the packet are ignored for purposes of making a processing decision for the packet.

Abstract: Techniques are presented herein to facilitate the monitoring of occupancy of a buffer in a network device. Packets are received at a network device. Information is captured describing occupancy of the buffer caused by packet flow through the buffer in the network device. Analytics packets are generated containing the information. The analytics packets from the network device for retrieval of the information contained therein for analysis, replay of buffer occupancy, etc.

Abstract: Presented herein are techniques to achieve ultra low latency determination of processing decisions for packets in a network device. A packet is received at a port of a network device. A processing decision is determined in a first processing decision path based on content of the packet and one or more network policies. A processing decision is determined in a second processing decision path, in parallel with the first processing path, by accessing a table storing processing decisions. The second processing decision path can output a processing decision faster than the first processing decision path for packets that match one or more particular packet flow parameters contained in the table. A processing decision determined by the second processing decision path, if one can be made, is used, and otherwise a processing decision determined by the first processing decision path is used.

Abstract: Presented herein are techniques for detection and characterization of buffer occupancy of a buffer in a network device. Packets are received at a network device. The packets are stored in a buffer of the network device as they are processed by the network device. An occupancy level of the buffer is sampled at a sampling rate. Occupancy levels of the buffer over time are determined from the sampling, and traffic flow through the network device is characterized based on the occupancy levels.

Abstract: A network device receives a packet that includes a plurality of header fields. The packet is parsed to sequentially obtain the plurality of header fields. One or more header fields not yet available at the network device are predicted based on one or more header fields that are available at the network device. A network processing decision is generated for the packet based on the predicted one or more header fields and the one or more header fields that are available at the network device.

Abstract: Buffer designs and write/read configurations for a buffer in a network device are provided. According to one aspect, a first portion of the packet is written into a first cell of a plurality of cells of a buffer in the network device. Each of the cells has a size that is less than a minimum size of packets received by the network device. The first portion of the packet can be read from the first cell while concurrently writing a second portion of the packet to a second cell.

Abstract: Methods and systems for providing a dynamic and real time load factor that can be shared with other network elements is disclosed. The load factor can be used in determining the relative load among a set of network elements and in distributing new sessions requests as well as existing session on the set of network elements. The load factor can also be used for determining to which network element a user equipment is handed off. The dynamic load factor can also be shared amongst network elements to determine how the load is balanced among the network elements, such as a mobility management entity (MME).

Abstract: A highly scalable application network appliance is described herein. According to one embodiment, a network element includes a switch fabric, a first service module coupled to the switch fabric, and a second service module coupled to the first service module over the switch fabric. In response to packets of a network transaction received from a client over a first network to access a server of a data center having multiple servers over a second network, the first service module is configured to perform a first portion of OSI (open system interconnection) compatible layers of network processes on the packets while the second service module is configured to perform a second portion of the OSI compatible layers of network processes on the packets. The first portion includes at least one OSI compatible layer that is not included in the second portion. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system and method for management of an IP network using eXtensible Markup Language (XML) or a similar protocol in addition to SNMP or other managed-device protocol. In embodiments of the invention, a XML-formatted request for data is received, where the data is associated with a Voice over IP (VoIP) device. A device IP address in a first argument and a Xpath query in a second argument are specified, where the device IP address and the Xpath query are based on the XML-formatted request. A Management Information Base (MIB) variable is identified based on the Xpath query.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method can include: (i) establishing an internet protocol (IP) connection; (ii) forming a buffered version of a plurality of voice frame slices from received audio packets; and (iii) when an erasure is detected, performing a packet loss concealment (PLC) to provide a synthesized speech signal for the erasure, where the PLC can include: (a) identifying first and second pitches from the buffered version of the plurality of voice frame slices; and (b) forming the synthesized speech signal by using the first and second pitches, and more if needed, followed by an overlay-add (OLA).

Abstract: A system includes an access node having an associated identifier. The access node is configured to insert the identifier into a network connection request. The system includes an IP edge service node connected to the access node and configured to receive the network connection request. The IP edge service node is further configured to store the inserted identifier and to insert the identifier into an Internet protocol version 6 (IPv6) address request transmitted according to dynamic host configuration protocol version 6 (DHCPv6) through an established network connection based on the network connection request. The system further includes a server configured to receive the IPv6 address request and assign an IPv6 address based on the IPv6 address request.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises logic for optimizing return traffic paths using network address translation (NAT). The logic is operable to receive outbound data from a source node in a source network, and to replace a source address in a source address field in the outbound data with a first address from a first address pool associated with a first connection. The logic is operable to determine that return traffic on the first connection needs to be switched over to a second connection, where a second address pool is associated with the second connection. The logic is operable to generate a mapping that associates the first address with a second address from the second address pool and, based on the mapping, to replace the first address in the source address field in the outbound data with the second address. The logic is also operable to send the outbound data to the destination node over the second connection.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method is described that includes receiving a conditioned bitstream that includes a digital insertion location and primary network packets that contain compressed video data. The digital insertion location includes replaceable network packets. The method also includes receiving a second bitstream that includes replacement compressed video data. The method also includes determining a location of the digital insertion location. The method further includes adjusting the bitrate of the replacement compressed video data to create adjusted replacement compressed video data. The method further includes providing timestamp information with the replacement compressed video data. The method additionally includes packetizing the adjusted replacement compressed video data and timestamp information into replacement network packets.