Abstract: A contact assembly includes a contact positioner holding a contact array having contacts and a ground shield including a ground plate along forward sections of the contacts and a ground panel along rearward sections of the contacts. The contact array includes a forward contact holder coupled to the ground plate and the forward sections to locate the forward sections relative to the upper ground plate. The forward contact holder includes forward slots to separate the forward contact holder into discrete sections. The contact array includes a rearward contact holder coupled to the ground panel and the rearward sections to locate the rearward sections relative to the ground panel. The rearward contact holder includes rearward slots to separate the rearward contact holder into discrete sections.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a conductive housing having a mating end and a mounting end mounted to a circuit board. The conductive housing provides electrical shielding around pockets and includes ground pads at the mounting end configured to be terminated to the circuit board. The electrical connector includes contact assemblies held by the conductive housing each having a contact holder holding at least one contact. The contact holder is received in the corresponding pocket of the conductive housing to position the at least one contact relative to the conductive housing. Each contact includes a mating end and a terminating end coupled to a signal pad of the circuit board. The conductive housing provides circumferential shielding around each contact assembly between the contact holder and the circuit board.

Abstract: Distributed firewalls in a network are disclosed. Example firewall controllers disclosed herein are to instruct a first network node of a software-defined network to implement a first firewall instance of a distributed firewall, the first network node to implement the first firewall instance with a first virtual machine. Disclosed example firewall controllers are also to configure a second network node of the software-defined network to route network traffic through the first firewall instance and, after at least some of the network traffic is dropped by the first firewall instance, instruct the second network node to implement a second firewall instance of the distributed firewall, the second network node to implement the second firewall instance with a second virtual machine.

Abstract: A contact assembly for an electrical connector signal contacts arranged in pairs and ground contacts are interspersed with the pairs of the signal contacts. Each signal contact includes a signal contact body having first and second sides extending between a signal mating end and a signal terminating end. Each ground contact includes a ground contact body having first and second sides extending between a ground mating end and a ground terminating end. The contact assembly includes a ground shield assembly including a ground shield spanning across the contacts and ground connective elements electrically connected to the ground shield and the corresponding ground contacts. The ground connective elements are compressible.

Abstract: Distributed firewalls in a network are disclosed. Example firewall controllers disclosed herein are to instruct a first network node of a software-defined network to implement a first firewall instance of a distributed firewall, the first network node to implement the first firewall instance with a first virtual machine. Disclosed example firewall controllers are also to configure a second network node of the software-defined network to route network traffic through the first firewall instance and, after at least some of the network traffic is dropped by the first firewall instance, instruct the second network node to implement a second firewall instance of the distributed firewall, the second network node to implement the second firewall instance with a second virtual machine.

Abstract: A contact assembly for an electrical connector signal contacts arranged in pairs and ground contacts are interspersed with the pairs of the signal contacts. Each signal contact includes a signal contact body having first and second sides extending between a signal mating end and a signal terminating end. Each ground contact includes a ground contact body having first and second sides extending between a ground mating end and a ground terminating end. The contact assembly includes a ground shield assembly including a ground shield spanning across the contacts and ground connective elements electrically connected to the ground shield and the corresponding ground contacts. The ground connective elements are compressible.

Abstract: Distributed firewalls in a network are disclosed. Example firewall controllers disclosed herein are to instruct a first network node of a software-defined network to implement a first firewall instance of a distributed firewall, the first network node to implement the first firewall instance with a first virtual machine. Disclosed example firewall controllers are also to configure a second network node of the software-defined network to route network traffic through the first firewall instance and, after at least some of the network traffic is dropped by the first firewall instance, instruct the second network node to implement a second firewall instance of the distributed firewall, the second network node to implement the second firewall instance with a second virtual machine.

Abstract: An electrical device including a plug connector. The plug connector includes a first flexible substrate having a plurality of signal contacts, the first flexible substrate extending from a terminating end to a mating end and configured to be flexible between the terminating end and mating end. A second flexible substrate extends in parallel spaced relation to the first flexible substrate to form a cavity between the first flexible substrate and second flexible substrate. The second flexible substrate having a plurality of signal contacts. The second flexible substrate extends from a terminating end to a mating end and configured to be flexible between the terminating end and mating end. The plug connector includes a rigid section disposed in the cavity at the mating end, the first flexible substrate moves in relation to the rigid section.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to provide a distributed firewall in a network are disclosed. Example firewall controllers disclosed herein are to instruct a first network node of a software-defined network to implement a first firewall instance of a distributed firewall, the first network node to implement the first firewall instance with a first virtual machine. Disclosed example firewall controllers are also to configure a second network node of the software-defined network to route network traffic through the first firewall instance and, after at least some of the network traffic is dropped by the first firewall instance, instruct the second network node to implement a second firewall instance of the distributed firewall, the second network node to implement the second firewall instance with a second virtual machine.

Abstract: An electrical device including a plug connector. The plug connector includes a first flexible substrate having a plurality of signal contacts, the first flexible substrate extending from a terminating end to a mating end and configured to be flexible between the terminating end and mating end. A second flexible substrate extends in parallel spaced relation to the first flexible substrate to form a cavity between the first flexible substrate and second flexible substrate. The second flexible substrate having a plurality of signal contacts. The second flexible substrate extends from a terminating end to a mating end and configured to be flexible between the terminating end and mating end. The plug connector includes a rigid section disposed in the cavity at the mating end, the first flexible substrate moves in relation to the rigid section.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to provide a distributed firewall in a network are disclosed. Example firewall controllers disclosed herein are to instruct a first network node of a software-defined network to implement a first firewall instance of a distributed firewall, the first network node to implement the first firewall instance with a first virtual machine. Disclosed example firewall controllers are also to configure a second network node of the software-defined network to route network traffic through the first firewall instance and, after at least some of the network traffic is dropped by the first firewall instance, instruct the second network node to implement a second firewall instance of the distributed firewall, the second network node to implement the second firewall instance with a second virtual machine.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to provide a distributed firewall in a network are disclosed. An example method includes identifying, at a control plane, a network traffic rule to implement in a network, and determining a first firewall of a distributed firewall in the network to enforce the network traffic rule. Example methods also configure a first software-defined network node to route network traffic to the first firewall. The first firewall is instantiated by a first firewall instance at a second software-defined network node and by a second firewall instance at a third software-defined network node. In response to determining at least some of the network traffic forwarded by the first software-defined network node to the second and third software-defined network nodes is being dropped at the first and second firewall instances, example methods also cause the first software-defined network node to implement a third firewall instance.

Abstract: A receptacle assembly includes a receptacle cage having walls defining a cavity extending between a front and a rear and having a module channel receiving a pluggable module. The walls include a top wall, a bottom wall and first and second sidewalls extending from the top wall to the bottom wall. The cavity is open at the rear to receive a cabled receptacle connector in the module channel and the cavity is open at the front to receive the pluggable module therein. A mounting panel extends from the bottom wall and has a mounting surface below the bottom wall for supporting the bottom wall of the receptacle cage at an elevated position above the mounting surface.

Abstract: A receptacle assembly includes a receptacle cage having walls defining a cavity extending between a front and a rear and having a module channel receiving a pluggable module. The walls include a top wall, a bottom wall and first and second sidewalls extending from the top wall to the bottom wall. The cavity is open at the rear to receive a cabled receptacle connector in the module channel and the cavity is open at the front to receive the pluggable module therein. A mounting panel extends from the bottom wall and has a mounting surface below the bottom wall for supporting the bottom wall of the receptacle cage at an elevated position above the mounting surface.

Abstract: An electrical device includes an organizer having a dielectric body including an upper surface and a lower surface supporting ends of cables having signal wires and having conductors on the upper surface and on the lower surface being electrically connected to corresponding signal wires. The electrical device includes an impedance control body separate and discrete from the dielectric body and coupled to the dielectric body of the organizer. The impedance control body has an upper pad on the upper surface covering the conductors and signal wire on the upper surface and a lower pad on the lower surface covering the conductors and signal wires on the lower surface. The impedance control body has a connecting tab passing through a void in the organizer between the upper pad and the lower pad.

Abstract: A receptacle cage includes walls defining a cavity including a top wall and first and second side walls extending from the top wall to a bottom. The cavity is open at a rear to receive cabled receptacle connectors and open at a front to receive pluggable modules. A divider wall extends between the side walls and divides the cavity into upper and lower module channels receiving corresponding pluggable modules. The divider wall includes a front and a rear and has mounting fingers proximate to the rear for removably mounting the rear of the divider wall to the side walls.

Abstract: An electrical device includes an organizer having a dielectric body including an upper surface and a lower surface supporting ends of cables having signal wires and having conductors on the upper surface and on the lower surface being electrically connected to corresponding signal wires. The electrical device includes an impedance control body separate and discrete from the dielectric body and coupled to the dielectric body of the organizer. The impedance control body has an upper pad on the upper surface covering the conductors and signal wire on the upper surface and a lower pad on the lower surface covering the conductors and signal wires on the lower surface. The impedance control body has a connecting tab passing through a void in the organizer between the upper pad and the lower pad.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to provide a distributed firewall in a network are disclosed. An example method includes identifying, at a control plane, a network traffic rule to implement in a network, and determining a first firewall of a distributed firewall in the network to enforce the network traffic rule. Example methods also configure a first software-defined network node to route network traffic to the first firewall. The first firewall is instantiated by a first firewall instance at a second software-defined network node and by a second firewall instance at a third software-defined network node. In response to determining at least some of the network traffic forwarded by the first software-defined network node to the second and third software-defined network nodes is being dropped at the first and second firewall instances, example methods also cause the first software-defined network node to implement a third firewall instance.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to provide a distributed firewall in a network are disclosed. An example method includes identifying, at a control plane, a network traffic rule to implement in a network; determining, at the control plane, a distributed firewall for a first firewall in the network to enforce the network traffic rule; instructing, using the control plane, a first software-defined networking node to instantiate the first firewall of the distributed firewall; configuring a second software-defined networking node to route network traffic through the first firewall; and instructing the first software-defined networking node to enforce the network traffic rule.

Abstract: Information associated with session flows between communication devices and servers is collected and shared. A request is generated for data having predefined attributes within session flows occurring between multiple communication devices and a server over a communication network. The request is sent to a controller having access to information indicating network elements within the communication network traversed by the session flows. The controller selects a network element from among the network elements traversed by the session flows and retrieves the data from the selected network element.