Abstract: A content distribution network includes first and second controllers, and multicast enabled routers. The first controller is configured to select a multicast channel for distributing content, to determine that the content has a geographic restriction associated with a restricted area in the content distribution network, to link an exclusion policy for the content to the multicast channel while the multicast channel provides the content, and to deny a request for the content from a client system within the restricted area based on the exclusion policy. The second controller is configured to distribute the exclusion policy to the multicast enabled routers including a first router configured to store the exclusion policy, and to ignore a multicast join message from the client system within the restricted area based on the exclusion policy.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to provision cloud computing network elements are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes receiving a selection of a cloud networking template from a client, wherein the cloud networking template includes a data center connector type and a wide area network connector type, configuring a virtual machine on a host server based on the cloud networking template, configuring a data center connector based on the data center connector type, configuring a wide area network connector based on the wide area network connector type, and coupling the wide area network connector to the data center connector and coupling the data center connector to the virtual machine within the host server to enable the client to access the virtual machine.

Abstract: A content distribution network includes first and second controllers, and multicast enabled routers. The first controller is configured to select a multicast channel for distributing content, to determine that the content has a geographic restriction associated with a restricted area in the content distribution network, to link an exclusion policy for the content to the multicast channel while the multicast channel provides the content, and to deny a request for the content from a client system within the restricted area based on the exclusion policy. The second controller is configured to distribute the exclusion policy to the multicast enabled routers including a first router configured to store the exclusion policy, and to ignore a multicast join message from the client system within the restricted area based on the exclusion policy.

Abstract: A method of configuring a network access device connected to an access network connected to a plurality of service networks, the network device having a first network address allocated to a subscriber of services of a first service provider provided by a first service network, with a new network address allocated to a second subscriber of services of either the first service provider, or a second service provider provided by a second service network. The method comprises the steps of: sending a request from the network access device to the access network with user credentials for the second subscriber requesting access to the first service provider or a change to the second service provider; receiving a response from the access network; and initiating a network address change request using a configuration protocol.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to provision cloud computing network elements are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes receiving a selection of a cloud networking template from a client, wherein the cloud networking template includes a data center connector type and a wide area network connector type, configuring a virtual machine on a host server based on the cloud networking template, configuring a data center connector based on the data center connector type, configuring a wide area network connector based on the wide area network connector type, and coupling the wide area network connector to the data center connector and coupling the data center connector to the virtual machine within the host server to enable the client to access the virtual machine.

Abstract: A system includes a plurality of cache servers and a domain name server. Each of the cache servers is configured to respond to a content request. The plurality of cache servers is divided into a plurality of subsets and configured to respond to an anycast address for each subset to which the cache server belongs. The domain name server is configured to receive a request from a requestor for a cache server address, identify an anycast address for a largest available subset, and provide the anycast address of the largest available subset to the requestor.

Abstract: Example scalable multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) based networks, and methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to implement the same are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes determining at an area border router (ABR) an OSPF metric representing a cost associated with transporting data between a provider edge router (PER) and the ABR within a non-zero OSPF area, replacing at the ABR a first MPLS label included in a BGP message received from the PER with a second MPLS label associated with the PER and assigned by the ABR, replacing at the ABR a next-hop attribute included in the BGP message with a value representing a loopback address of the ABR, updating at the ABR a route cost attribute included in the BGP message to include the OSPF metric, and re-advertising from the ABR the modified BGP message into an OSPF area 0.

Abstract: A system includes a plurality of cache servers and a domain name server. Each of the cache servers is configured to respond to a content request. The plurality of cache servers is divided into a plurality of subsets and configured to respond to an anycast address for each subset to which the cache server belongs. The domain name server is configured to receive a request from a requestor for a cache server address, identify an anycast address for a largest available subset, and provide the anycast address of the largest available subset to the requestor.

Abstract: Example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to manipulate packet routing are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes extracting a destination address from a first packet, querying a route table based on the destination address to obtain a first label associated an egress router, querying the route table based on the destination address to obtain a second label associated with an interface of the egress router, forming a second packet from the first packet, the second packet including the first and second labels, and routing the second packet to the egress router based on the first label.

Abstract: A method of configuring a network access device connected to an access network connected to a plurality of service networks, the network device having a first network address allocated to a subscriber of services of a first service provider provided by a first service network, with a new network address allocated to a second subscriber of services of either the first service provider, or a second service provider provided by a second service network. The method comprises the steps of: sending a request from the network access device to the access network with user credentials for the second subscriber requesting access to the first service provider or a change to the second service provider; receiving a response from the access network; and initiating a network address change request using a configuration protocol.

Abstract: A network is configured to utilize available bandwidth to conduct bulk data transfers without substantially affecting the successful transmission of time-sensitive traffic in the network. In order to avoid this interference, the packets carrying data for bulk data transfers are associated with a low priority class such that the routers of the network will preferentially drop these packets over packets associated with the normal traffic of the network. As such, when the normal traffic peaks or there are link or equipment failures, the normal traffic is preferentially transmitted over the bulk-transfer traffic and thus the bulk-transfer traffic dynamically adapts to changes in the available bandwidth of the network. Further, to reduce the impact of dropped packets for the bulk-transfer traffic, the packets are encoded at or near the source component using a loss-resistant transport protocol so that the dropped packets can be reproduced at a downstream link.

Abstract: A system includes a plurality of cache servers and a domain name server. Each of the cache servers is configured to respond to a content request. The plurality of cache servers is divided into a plurality of subsets and configured to respond to an anycast address for each subset to which the cache server belongs. The domain name server is configured to receive a request from a requestor for a cache server address, identify an anycast address for a largest available subset, and provide the anycast address of the largest available subset to the requestor.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described that manage routing information in an IP network using extensible indexing and use the indexing to control the network. The indexing and associated controls apply to any router within the routing domain.

Abstract: A content distribution network includes a first server in communication with an anycast server that provides content via a unicast signal, and with a multicast server that provides the content via a multicast signal. The first server is configured to receive a list of source addresses associated with the content, and to provide a metadata file including an anycast Internet protocol address of the anycast server from the list of source addresses as an Internet protocol address of the content in response to a first request for the content. When the number of client devices requesting the content exceeds a first threshold, the first server receives an updated list of sources including a multicast Internet protocol address of a multicast server, and provides the multicast Internet protocol address of the multicast server as the Internet protocol address of the content in the metadata file.

Abstract: A content distribution network includes first and second controllers, and multicast enabled routers. The first controller is configured to select a multicast channel for distributing content, to determine that the content has a geographic restriction associated with a restricted area in the content distribution network, to link an exclusion policy for the content to the multicast channel while the multicast channel provides the content, and to deny a request for the content from a client system within the restricted area based on the exclusion policy. The second controller is configured to distribute the exclusion policy to the multicast enabled routers including a first router configured to store the exclusion policy, and to ignore a multicast join message from the client system within the restricted area based on the exclusion policy.

Abstract: A network is configured to utilize available bandwidth to conduct bulk data transfers without substantially affecting the successful transmission of time-sensitive traffic in the network. In order to avoid this interference, the packets carrying data for bulk data transfers are associated with a low priority class such that the routers of the network will preferentially drop these packets over packets associated with the normal traffic of the network. As such, when the normal traffic peaks or there are link failures or equipment failures, the normal traffic is preferentially transmitted over the bulk-transfer traffic and thus the bulk-transfer traffic dynamically adapts to changes in the available bandwidth of the network. Further, to reduce the impact of dropped packets for the bulk-transfer traffic, the packets of the bulk-transfer traffic are encoded at or near the source component using a loss-resistant transport protocol so that the dropped packets can be reproduced at a downstream link.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to provision cloud computing network elements are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes receiving a selection of a cloud networking template from a client, wherein the cloud networking template includes a data center connector type and a wide area network connector type, configuring a virtual machine on a host server based on the cloud networking template, configuring a data center connector based on the data center connector type, configuring a wide area network connector based on the wide area network connector type, and coupling the wide area network connector to the data center connector and coupling the data center connector to the virtual machine within the host server to enable the client to access the virtual machine.

Abstract: Example scalable multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) based networks, and methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to implement the same are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes determining at an area border router (ABR) an OSPF metric representing a cost associated with transporting data between a provider edge router (PER) and the ABR within a non-zero OSPF area, replacing at the ABR a first MPLS label included in a BGP message received from the PER with a second MPLS label associated with the PER and assigned by the ABR, replacing at the ABR a next-hop attribute included in the BGP message with a value representing a loopback address of the ABR, updating at the ABR a route cost attribute included in the BGP message to include the OSPF metric, and re-advertising from the ABR the modified BGP message into an OSPF area 0.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing traffic management for distributed denial of service (DDOS) traffic. Within a communications network, a DDOS detection system monitors network traffic to identify traffic that is designed to attack a particular server within the network and their entry points into the network. A traffic routing control unit is requested to deny service to the DDOS traffic. By selectively manipulating the routing information propagated to network edge routers, the traffic that is denied service is limited to mostly DDOS traffic and is routed to a cleaning center or a null address in the most effective fashion.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method and architecture for enabling multiple services or service providers to share the facilities of an access network infrastructure that provides physical connectivity to subscribers.