Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system for managing load in a server are provided. The server performs events for a plurality of electronic communication devices, each of the devices enabled to transmit to the server, at a respective given time and at a respective given frequency, a request to perform a respective event. The server receives the requests and determines that its load is above a threshold load value during a given time period when the requests arrive. In response, for a subset of the devices, the server transmits a delay time to each electronic communication device in the subset. The delay time causes each device in the subset to change the respective given time to a respective new time comprising the delay time added to the respective given time such that a next request is transmitted from each device in the subset to the server at the respective new time.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system for managing load in a server are provided. The server performs events for a plurality of electronic communication devices, each of the devices enabled to transmit to the server, at a respective given time and at a respective given frequency, a request to perform a respective event. The server receives the requests and determines that its load is above a threshold load value during a given time period when the requests arrive. In response, for a subset of the devices, the server transmits a delay time to each electronic communication device in the subset. The delay time causes each device in the subset to change the respective given time to a respective new time comprising the delay time added to the respective given time such that a next request is transmitted from each device in the subset to the server at the respective new time.

Abstract: A method for monitoring lightpaths in an optical network comprising nodes interconnected by wavelength-multiplexed links is disclosed. Each lightpath is identified by a respective optical signature. A node stores identifiers of optical signatures of lightpaths designated to traverse the node and identifiers of adjacent nodes. Each node also maintains a record of all optical signatures it detects. A command-line interface associated with a selected node tracks a selected lightpath, designated to traverse the selected node, by propagating messages in an upstream direction, a downstream direction, or both, requesting other nodes to provide information pertinent to the selected lightpath. The selected node may also send messages to all its neighboring nodes requesting each to indicated detection, or otherwise, of the selected lightpath.

Abstract: A method of transmitting packets from the source edge router through the label switch router to the destination edge router, comprising the steps of: assigning different protocol type indicators at the source edge router to user MPLS packets and to non-user MPLS packets of at least one additional protocol type; at the label switch router, forwarding MPLS packets received from the source edge router or another label switch router in such a manner as to preserve the protocol type indicator of the packet transport protocol of each received MPLS packet; at the destination edge router, recognizing the protocol type indicator of the transport protocol of the MPLS packets received from the label switch router, and segregating the user MPLS packets from non-user MPLS packets. Preferably, user and non-user MPLS packets are assigned the same MPLS label and sent via the same label switched path. Corresponding enhanced MPLS network is also provided.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for improving redundancy and load sharing in control cards in the control plane of a communication node. An active control card which receives a request passes the request to the inactive control card for processing if and only if the inactive control card is synchronized with the active control card and the inactive control card is able to process the request. Redundancy and load sharing are further improved if the active control card separates the processing of managing the request and the determination of a response to the request onto separate processors on the control card. In one embodiment, the control cards are OSPF modules in a router. Redundancy is effected by more accurately synchronizing the link state database of each OSPF module, and by allowing the state of each neighboring router to be determined only by the active OSPF module and not independently by any inactive OSPF module.

Abstract: A method to trace, detect, discover and monitor the nodes traversed by a light path from its source to its destination in an Optical Communication Network (OCN) is provided. In accordance with the embodiment of the invention, the system examines various provisioned and discovered optical nodes either sequentially or in parallel to determine whether a unique signature (wavekey) associated with the light path is present. Connectivity and mis-fibering problems are detected by sequentially examining provisioned nodes in the light path to determine if the wavekey associated with the light path can be observed. Control Network topology information is utilized to contact all nodes in the network to trouble-shoot mis-fibering problems.

Abstract: In a MPLS packet network comprising a source edge router, a destination edge router and a label switch router connected by transmission links and using a packet transport protocol providing a protocol type indicator of the transported packet, a method of transmitting packets from the source edge router through the label switch router to the destination edge router, comprising the steps of:

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for improving redundancy and load sharing in control cards in the control plane of a communication node. An active control card which receives a request passes the request to the inactive control card for processing if and only if the inactive control card is synchronized with the active control card and the inactive control card is able to process the request. Redundancy and load sharing are further improved if the active control card separates the processing of managing the request and the determination of a response to the request onto separate processors on the control card. In one embodiment, the control cards are OSPF modules in a router. Redundancy is effected by more accurately synchronizing the link state database of each OSPF module, and by allowing the state of each neighbouring router to be determined only by the active OSPF module and not independently by any inactive OSPF module.