Abstract: A diagnostic tool is provided for calculating the availability of multi-segment pseudowires within an internet protocol (IP)-based mobile backhaul network. A control message is transmitted from an originating node towards a destination node within the IP-based mobile backhaul network over a primary multi-segment pseudowire and a secondary multi-segment pseudowire. From the response messages received from intermediate nodes positioned between the network node and the destination node along the primary multi-segment pseudowire and the secondary multi-segment psuedowire, the originating node determines the identities of each of the intermediate nodes, and calculates a respective individual availability of the primary multi-segment pseudowire and the secondary multi-segment pseudowire.

Abstract: A diagnostic tool is provided for calculating the availability of multi-segment pseudowires within an internet protocol (IP)-based mobile backhaul network. A control message is transmitted from an originating node towards a destination node within the IP-based mobile backhaul network over a primary multi-segment pseudowire and a secondary multi-segment pseudowire. From the response messages received from intermediate nodes positioned between the network node and the destination node along the primary multi-segment pseudowire and the secondary multi-segment psuedowire, the originating node determines the identities of each of the intermediate nodes, and calculates a respective individual availability of the primary multi-segment pseudowire and the secondary multi-segment pseudowire.

Abstract: An access node (e.g., Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer) and a method are described herein that proactively monitor the connectivity of one or more end devices (e.g., residential gateways). In one embodiment, the access node performs the following: (a) receives continuity check messages from at least one of the end devices; (b) polls the received continuity check messages to ascertain the connectivity of each end device; and (c) if at least one continuity check message is detected as missing from one of the end devices during the polling step, then an alarm message is sent indicating a loss of connectivity to the one end device. Thereafter, an edge router (e.g., Broadband Network Gateway) would receive the alarm message and know there is no longer a connection to the one end device.

Abstract: An intelligent switch and method are described herein which help to effectively retransmit a lost packet that is associated with a television broadcast stream to one or more set-top box(es) (STBs).

Abstract: Apparatus and method for supporting operations and maintenance (“OAM”) functionality in an OBS network is described. One embodiment is an OBS network having OAM functionality, the OBS network comprising a plurality of OBS nodes interconnected via links. Each of the OBS nodes comprises an OAM module (“OAMM”) for processing information regarding OAM functions in the OBS network and a routing manager (“RM”) for processing routing information; and wherein at least one wavelength in each of the links comprises an OAM/1 wavelength for OAM/1 transmissions between nodes, the OAM/1 transmissions comprising OAM activity information; wherein at least one wavelength in each of the links comprises a reference wavelength for providing a wavelength reference to which light generating devices in the OBS network lock; and wherein at least one wavelength in each of the links comprises a routing wavelength for providing routing information between nodes.

Abstract: System and method for providing personalized advertising in an Internet protocol television (“IPTV”) system are described. In one embodiment, the method comprises awaiting notification of an impending ad insert period for a plurality of active televisions in a household; and, for each of the active televisions, selecting an ad from a group of ads for display on the active television and pushing the selected ad to the active television for presentation on the active television during the ad insert period.

Abstract: A sequential iterative methodology is used to generate a solution space with different cost/availability values for multiple network architectures from which an optimal or near-optimal solution can be determined. A modeling module (10) provides a cost value for a network architecture under consideration and, once cost modeling is done, an availability analysis is performed for the architecture under analysis. If a relatively few connections prevent a model from acceptability, the availability analysis module (12) reveals the causing factors of the unsatisfactory availability for those few connections and suggests that the modeling perform further optimisations on those causing factors. This iterative process is repeated until an optimum or near-optimum acceptable solution is found; if no acceptable solution is found, the solutions generated in the availability analysis module are reviewed to find the best available solution.