Abstract: In one embodiment, an electronic device maintains one or more tunnel-based overlays for a communication network. The communication network includes two or more physical provider networks. The device maintains a mapping between a particular application and the one or more overlays for the communication network. The device adjusts the mapping between the particular application and the one or more overlays for the communication network. The device causes one or more routers in the communication network to route traffic for the particular application according to the adjusted mapping between the application and the one or more overlays for the communication network.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an electronic device maintains one or more tunnel-based overlays for a communication network. The communication network includes two or more physical provider networks. The device maintains a mapping between a particular application and the one or more overlays for the communication network. The device adjusts the mapping between the particular application and the one or more overlays for the communication network. The device causes one or more routers in the communication network to route traffic for the particular application according to the adjusted mapping between the application and the one or more overlays for the communication network.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an electronic device maintains one or more tunnel-based overlays for a communication network. The communication network includes two or more physical provider networks. The device maintains a mapping between a particular application and the one or more overlays for the communication network. The device adjusts the mapping between the particular application and the one or more overlays for the communication network. The device causes one or more routers in the communication network to route traffic for the particular application according to the adjusted mapping between the application and the one or more overlays for the communication network.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an electronic device maintains one or more tunnel-based overlays for a communication network. The communication network includes two or more physical provider networks. The device maintains a mapping between a particular application and the one or more overlays for the communication network. The device adjusts the mapping between the particular application and the one or more overlays for the communication network. The device causes one or more routers in the communication network to route traffic for the particular application according to the adjusted mapping between the application and the one or more overlays for the communication network.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an electronic device maintains one or more tunnel-based overlays for a communication network. The communication network includes two or more physical provider networks. The device maintains a mapping between a particular application and the one or more overlays for the communication network. The device adjusts the mapping between the particular application and the one or more overlays for the communication network. The device causes one or more routers in the communication network to route traffic for the particular application according to the adjusted mapping between the application and the one or more overlays for the communication network.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a device in a network determines one or more network metrics regarding operation of the network. The device determines one or more policy constraints regarding the routing of network traffic through a virtual service platform (VSP). The device generates a VSP usage policy based on the one or more network metrics and on the one or more policy constraints. The VSP usage policy is operable to cause traffic in the network to be routed through a particular VSP that is selected based on the VSP usage policy. The device causes the VSP usage policy to be implemented in the network.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an electronic device maintains one or more tunnel-based overlays for a communication network. The communication network includes two or more physical provider networks. The device maintains a mapping between a particular application and the one or more overlays for the communication network. The device adjusts the mapping between the particular application and the one or more overlays for the communication network. The device causes one or more routers in the communication network to route traffic for the particular application according to the adjusted mapping between the application and the one or more overlays for the communication network.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a device in a network determines one or more network metrics regarding operation of the network. The device determines one or more policy constraints regarding the routing of network traffic through a virtual service platform (VSP). The device generates a VSP usage policy based on the one or more network metrics and on the one or more policy constraints. The VSP usage policy is operable to cause traffic in the network to be routed through a particular VSP that is selected based on the VSP usage policy. The device causes the VSP usage policy to be implemented in the network.

Abstract: In an example embodiment, a method is provided where a characteristic of a flow of Internet Protocol (IP) packet is measured. Here, the flow is associated with an IP address prefix. Further, an attribute of a routing protocol is associated with the IP address prefix based on the characteristic. An advertisement then is transmitted by way of a routing protocol. The advertisement includes the attribute and the IP address prefix associated with the attribute. Another method is provided where the advertisement is received. Here, the IP address prefix is associated with a class of service that is associated with the attribute. An IP packet associated with the IP address prefix is received and this IP packet is classified to a class of service based on the IP address prefix. The IP packet then is marked with a value that is associated with the class of service.

Abstract: A communications system includes base transceiver stations providing wireless services for mobile units. The system further includes a packet network coupling the stations to a gateway. To distribute information received for communication to a mobile unit, the gateway may encapsulate the information as a multicast packet addressed to a multicast address. This multicast address corresponds to a multicast group associated with the mobile unit. The packet network distributes copies of the multicast packet to a group of stations that are registered for the multicast group. These stations may then communicate information from the multicast packet to the mobile unit using wireless communications techniques.

Abstract: A method for using an authentication server to obtain dial-out information about a network including the steps of receiving a destination network address to the authentication server; obtaining a network number and a corresponding network mask from a database; applying said network mask to said destination network address and comparing the result to said network number; retrieving a profile corresponding to said network number and network mask from a database if said network number matches the result of applying said network mask to said destination network address; and repeating said obtaining, applying, and retrieving steps if said network number does not match the result of applying said network mask to said destination network address.

Abstract: A method for using an authentication server to obtain dial-out information about a network including the steps of receiving a destination network address to the authentication server; obtaining a network number and a corresponding network mask from a database; applying said network mask to said destination network address and comparing the result to said network number; retrieving a profile corresponding to said network number and network mask from a database if said network number matches the result of applying said network mask to said destination network address; and repeating said obtaining, applying, and retrieving steps if said network number does not match the result of applying said network mask to said destination network address.

Abstract: Communication, using a synchronous protocol, over a synchronous communications link, between synchronous application programs executed on a terminal (i.e., personal computer, PC) with an asynchronous byte-oriented interface and a PC with a synchronous frame orientated interface is made possible by enhancing the PC with the asynchronous byte-oriented interface with a device which modifies the data to be transmitted by inserting framing flags and transparency characters before the data passes through the COMM port (asynchronous byte-oriented interface) and extracting the transparency characters after the data exits the COMM port. As a consequence, the PC with the frame-oriented interface does not have to be modified.