Abstract: A selection method for selecting at least one service among a plurality of predetermined services including the following steps: receiving by the computation software application of a service request input by a service requester, the service request including at least one component relative to the services and an indication relating to a level of satisfaction expected; development by the computation software application of a set of candidates, each candidate including a plurality of services, each service of each candidate being capable of satisfying at least one component of the service request; evaluation of each candidate by the computation software application, which includes the calculation of an overall score for the candidate by means of a predetermined cost function, as a function of the level of satisfaction expected; and allocation to the service requester of the services of the candidate that optimizes the cost function.

Abstract: A system is dedicated to processing data frames for a communications network that supports one or more communications protocols. The system includes, firstly, a detection module adapted, on receipt of a data frame, to determine, from a plurality of sets of predefined values corresponding to respective different forms of protocol processing, the set containing a value taken by a selected frame field contained in the received frame and used by the protocol, and, secondly, a processing module adapted to determine a specific form of protocol processing corresponding to the set determined by the detection module and to be applied to the received frame.

Abstract: A communication device (B) for a communication network with an IP control plane, comprises communication resources to transfer data in said network, a signaling controller capable of receiving an open connection message comprising a first traffic descriptor (11) for a down data flow to be transmitted by an initiator node (A) to a terminator node (C) and a second traffic descriptor (12) for an up data flow to be transmitted by the terminator node from the initiator node, and an admission controller capable of evaluating communication resources of the communication device available for said down flow and said up flow as a function of the first and second traffic descriptors, said signaling controller being capable of producing an updated open connection message as a function of said received open connection message and said available communication resources.

Abstract: A router includes a first processing module (1) adapted to route primary resources as a function of instructions received, inputs (2) adapted to feed the first processing module (1) with primary resources, outputs (3) adapted to collect primary resources switched by said first processing module (1), a second processing module (6) adapted to process secondary resources to be added or dropped, and coupling means (9) including a drop bus (8) and/or an add bus (7) and adapted, on the instructions of the control means (15), to drop either the whole of a primary resource arriving at one of said inputs (2) and/or outputs (3) or a portion thereof to feed said second processing module (6), and/or to add a secondary resource processed by said second processing module to a primary resource received at one of said inputs (2) and/or outputs (3) and in transit to a common destination.

Abstract: An optical connection path surveillance device for a transparent optical network includes analysis means (80, 81) adapted to detect node signatures carried by an optical signal in transit at a point of said network, each node signature including information uniquely associated with a switching node of the network. The analysis means include calculation means (81) adapted to determine a number of hops from said detected node signatures and error detection means (81) adapted to compare said number of hops to a predetermined threshold in order to detect a routing error in relation to said optical signal if said threshold is exceeded. In one embodiment, a surveillance device detects looped paths on the basis of the detected node signatures.

Abstract: In order to determine a spectral route for a given connection in an optical telecommunications network (T) between a starting node (ON1) and a destination node (ON6) of the network, the method consists in: using a conventional routing method to determine one or more candidate spatial routes (Route i, Route 2) connecting the starting node (ON1) to the destination node (ON6), each candidate spatial route comprising a sequence of route segments, each segment connecting two nodes of the network directly and being adapted to support a plurality of spectral routes.

Abstract: A method for operating a packet based data network (21; 31), the data network (21; 31) comprising a multitude of nodes (A, B, C, D) and a shared data bus (22; 32), wherein at least some of the nodes (A, B, C, D) add traffic to the data bus (22; 32), and wherein the upstream nodes (A, B, C, D) reserve data transfer capacity of the data bus (22; 32) for downstream nodes (A, B, C, D) by means of a fairness mechanism, is characterized in that at least some of the nodes (A, B, C, D) drop traffic from the data bus (22; 32), and that said fairness mechanism takes into account the drop traffic at downstream nodes (A, B, C, D). The inventive method allows a better bandwidth utilization and uses available resources more efficiently.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method of monitoring traffic in a network in which a plurality of nodes 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D access a common resource 3 such as a wavelength in an optical network. It consists in, in each node: detecting if said resource is being used to send data or if it is not being used for long enough to send a data packet and then, if it is not being used for long enough to send a data packet, prohibiting the node (2B) concerned from sending data in a portion of said resource (3) that is determined statistically as a function of the requirements for use of said resource by all of the nodes (2C, 2D) on the downstream side of the node (2B) concerned.

Abstract: A packet-switched communications network (PSN) includes a multiplicity of nodes (Ni) adapted to switch streams of packets benefiting from circuit emulation services, known as CES packets. The network uses a particular method of resynchronizing the CES streams. According to that method, for a CES stream intended to take an associated path (CE) from an ingress node (N1) passing through a set of nodes including a subset of nodes adapted to resynchronize CES streams selectively, effective resynchronization of said stream by a node selected from said subset is conditioned by a value representative of the cumulative jitter suffered by said stream as far as that node.

Abstract: A communications station (4-i) for a WDM ring network is adapted to insert into an optical fiber (2) packets of optical signals carried by at least one wavelength and having a propagation direction in common with at least one other communications station.

Abstract: The network comprises an optical interconnection tree linking sending points of stations to a receiving point of a concentrator via access links (F1-F3), a coupling system (C) and a common optical link (OL). The stations can send optical signals (?u1, ?u2, ?u3) each carried by the same “uplink” wavelength (?u). Each station includes a carrier detection system able to detect the presence at its sending point (Ki) of an optical wave at said uplink wavelength (?u) that was not sent by the same station. The detection system cooperates with sending control means to inactivate sending if such presence is detected. The network further includes: an emulator (LDa, Ca, G1-G3) adapted to send auxiliary waves (?a1, ?a2, ?a3) at said uplink wavelength (?u) and to couple them into the access links (F1-F3) so that they propagate in the downlink propagation direction; and a control system (2a) of the emulator for selectively activating the sending of the auxiliary waves.

Abstract: A control device (D) for a node (LCR3) in an Ethernet communications network having a GMPLS control plan and through which node a connection for setting up is to pass, includes control means (MC) arranged, in the event of said node (LCR3) receiving a connection setup message containing at least one first value representative of the sum since the beginning of the connection for setting up of the local values of an additive parameter as introduced in each of the preceding nodes (LCR3) in the connection, to determine a second value that is a function of the first value and of the local value as introduced by the node (LCR3), and then to compare the second value with a selected threshold so as to determine whether the connection can accept a maximum value for the additive parameter at the node, and to replace the first value in the received message with the second value as determined, at least when the connection can accept the maximum value.

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical ring network comprising stations (340) which are connected to at least one optical fiber by means of optical couplers, the two ends of the optical fiber being connected to a point of presence or an optical network access node. The point of presence comprises (k) at least an optical emitter (330-1) which emits a falling optical signal having at lest one first wavelength (420) in the direction of one end of the optical fibers (455) and (ii) at least one optical receiver (330-2) which receives a rising optical signal having at least one second wavelength which is different form the first wavelength. The aforementioned optical network access node comprises means such as a hub (320) which can be used for the communication between the optical receiver (330-2) and the optical emitter (330-1). The wavelengths of the rising signals and the wavelengths of the falling signals are shared by several stations.

Abstract: A communication device (B) for a communication network with an IP control plane, comprises communication resources to transfer data in said network, a signaling controller capable of receiving an open connection message comprising a first traffic descriptor (11) for a down data flow to be transmitted by an initiator node (A) to a terminator node (C) and a second traffic descriptor (12) for an up data flow to be transmitted by the terminator node from the initiator node, and an admission controller capable of evaluating communication resources of the communication device available for said down flow and said up flow as a function of the first and second traffic descriptors, said signaling controller being capable of producing an updated open connection message as a function of said received open connection message and said available communication resources.

Abstract: An optical connection path surveillance device for a transparent optical network includes analysis means (80, 81) adapted to detect node signatures carried by an optical signal in transit at a point of said network, each node signature including information uniquely associated with a switching node of the network. The analysis means include calculation means (81) adapted to determine a number of hops from said detected node signatures and error detection means (81) adapted to compare said number of hops to a predetermined threshold in order to detect a routing error in relation to said optical signal if said threshold is exceeded. In one embodiment, a surveillance device detects looped paths on the basis of the detected node signatures.

Abstract: A device (D) is dedicated to generating bursts of packets of data, in a network equipment (N) of a burst switching communication network. This device (D) comprises processor means (MT) adapted to generate, with a view to their transmission by the equipment (N), composite bursts assembled from packets extracted from at least two queues, including an initiator queue, associated with different classes of service and with a common packet destination, and defined in memory means (MY). To this end the processor means (MT) allocate to the different classes of service selected weights varying in a non-linear fashion as a function of associated priority levels. They then determine a linear combination of proportions of packets stored in the initiator queue and in at least one other queue associated with the same destination respectively weighted by the weights allocated to the classes of service of the packets, the result whereof preserves the priority level associated with the packets stored in said initiator queue.

Abstract: A method for operating a packet based data network (21; 31), the data network (21; 31) comprising a multitude of nodes (A, B, C, D) and a shared data bus (22; 32), wherein at least some of the nodes (A, B, C, D) add traffic to the data bus (22; 32), and wherein the upstream nodes (A, B, C, D) reserve data transfer capacity of the data bus (22; 32) for downstream nodes (A, B, C, D) by means of a fairness mechanism, is characterized in that at least some of the nodes (A, B, C, D) drop traffic from the data bus (22; 32), and that said fairness mechanism takes into account the drop traffic at downstream nodes (A, B, C, D). The inventive method allows a better bandwidth utilization and uses available resources more efficiently.

Abstract: A device (D) is dedicated to generating routing messages for a GMPLS control plane communications network. The device (D) includes processing means (MT) adapted to generate routing messages containing an attribute including each item of traffic engineering (TE) information data representing non-homogeneous characteristics of segments of at least one connection between network equipments (N) at the time of its declaration in its routing domain, the representation of that connection thereby defining a forwarding adjacency multiple access (FAMA) linear bus structure.

Abstract: A method for routing traffic in a network comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of data lines that extend between adjacent ones of said nodes, the traffic being formed of traffic connections between pairs of nodes referred to as terminal nodes, comprises the steps of a) selecting a pair of said terminal nodes and determining a shortest path between them (S1-S4); b) selecting (S6) a new node from said plurality which is not part of the path and inserting (S8) the new node between two adjacent nodes of the path; c) repeating step b) until at least all terminal nodes are included in the path; d) routing at least part of said traffic on said path (S11-S14).

Abstract: A control device (D) for a node (LCR3) in an Ethernet communications network having a GMPLS control plan and through which node a connection for setting up is to pass, comprises control means (MC) arranged, in the event of said node (LCR3) receiving a connection setup message containing at least one first value representative of the sum since the beginning of said connection for setting up of the local values of an additive parameter as introduced in each of the preceding nodes (LCR3) in said connection, to determine a second value that is a function of said first value and of the local value as introduced by said node (LCR3), and then to compare said second value with a selected threshold so as to determine whether said connection can accept a maximum value for said additive parameter at said node, and to replace said first value in said received message with said second value as determined, at least when said connection can accept said maximum value.