Abstract: A carrier-grade network address translation (NAT) gateway system includes a switch having a gateway function configured to receive packets that are communicated via its ingress and egress ports. The switch having the gateway function has a first link to a first NAT processing function and a second link to a second NAT processing function. The first NAT processing function has a first deterministic address/port translation function and a first mapping table for storing first binding entries. The second NAT processing function has a second deterministic address/port translation function and a second mapping table for storing second binding entries. Preferably, the first and the second deterministic address/port translation functions are the same. The switch is configured to communicate each received packet for processing at both the first and the second NAT processing functions (e.g., in either a serial manner or a parallel manner), which provides redundancy in state information.

Abstract: Techniques for use in network incident identification are described. In response to an occurrence of an unknown network incident, a plurality of log messages (e.g. syslog messages) are received from a plurality of network components in one or more networks. In one illustrative example, a plurality of relationships between interfaces and events are derived from the received log messages and characterized as a plurality of graphical component relationships. One or more groups of connected components are determined from the graphical component relationships and network component connection data which indicate interface relationships of the network components. Here, groups of connected components may be logically joined based on the network component connection data indicating one or more interface relationships.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes computing at a controller, a primary path and a backup path for transmittal of multicast data from service nodes in communication with the controller and a multicast source to access nodes in communication with multicast receivers, and transmitting from the controller, information for the primary path and the backup path to the access nodes for use by the access nodes in receiving the multicast data on the primary path and the backup path, and switching transmittal of the multicast data to the multicast receivers from the primary path to the backup path upon identifying a failure in the primary path to provide fast reroute at the access nodes. A multicast control plane runs in the controller without operating in the access nodes. An apparatus is also disclosed herein.

Abstract: Techniques for use in network incident identification are described. In response to an occurrence of an unknown network incident, a plurality of log messages (e.g. syslog messages) are received from a plurality of network components in one or more networks. In one illustrative example, a plurality of relationships between interfaces and events are derived from the received log messages and characterized as a plurality of graphical component relationships. One or more groups of connected components are determined from the graphical component relationships and network component connection data which indicate interface relationships of the network components. Here, groups of connected components may be logically joined based on the network component connection data indicating one or more interface relationships.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes computing at a controller, a primary path and a backup path for transmittal of multicast data from service nodes in communication with the controller and a multicast source to access nodes in communication with multicast receivers, and transmitting from the controller, information for the primary path and the backup path to the access nodes for use by the access nodes in receiving the multicast data on the primary path and the backup path, and switching transmittal of the multicast data to the multicast receivers from the primary path to the backup path upon identifying a failure in the primary path to provide fast reroute at the access nodes. A multicast control plane runs in the controller without operating in the access nodes. An apparatus is also disclosed herein.