Abstract: The invention provides a method which involves inserting probe packets on a per service basis for transmission on a respective round trip; and for each service using the probe packets to calculate packet latency for probe packets which is representative of packet latency for all packets transmitted for the service. In some embodiments, data plane time stamps are used to accurately time probe latency. The invention also provides a method which involves inserting probe packets on a per service basis for transmission on a respective destination network element; and at the destination network element for a given service using the probe packets to calculate one way packet loss for the service.

Abstract: Methods and network nodes are provided which are adapted to perform protection switching on the basis of raw signal quality information, such as raw BER information, in a manner which instigates the protection switching before an actual failure has occurred. In some embodiments, these methods leverage forward error correction and uncorrected BER to effect traffic redirection before faults are observed at layer 2 and above. This is as opposed to the method of switching layer 2 traffic in response to bitstream characteristics observed at that layer.

Abstract: Methods and components are provided which ensure both the improved use of network resources and adequate performance of best effort (BE) traffic by intelligently distributing the BE traffic demands at connection level with corresponding scaling weights, and without reserving bandwidth. A weighted sum of the best effort (BE) class connections (or LSPs in MPLS context) in a link is used as a path selection criterion, where each BE connection is weighted by its service volume. Path selection for a requested BE service volume is performed by creating a virtual topology in which all links in a network have weighted BE metrics updated to include the effects of the requested BE service volume, and identifying a best path through the virtual topology taking into account the weighted BE metrics.

Abstract: Methods and network nodes are provided which are adapted to perform protection switching on the basis of raw signal quality information, such as raw BER information, in a manner which instigates the protection switching before an actual failure has occurred. In some embodiments, these methods leverage forward error correction and uncorrected BER to effect traffic redirection before faults are observed at layer 2 and above. This is as opposed to the method of switching layer 2 traffic in response to bitstream characteristics observed at that layer.

Abstract: The invention provides a method which involves inserting probe packets on a per service basis for transmission on a respective round trip; and for each service using the probe packets to calculate packet latency for probe packets which is representative of packet latency for all packets transmitted for the service. In some embodiments, data plane time stamps are used to accurately time probe latency. The invention also provides a method which involves inserting probe packets on a per service basis for transmission on a respective destination network element; and at the destination network element for a given service using the probe packets to calculate one way packet loss for the service.

Abstract: Methods and components are provided which ensure both the improved use of network resources and adequate performance of best effort (BE) traffic by intelligently distributing the BE traffic demands at connection level with corresponding scaling weights, and without reserving bandwidth. A weighted sum of the best effort (BE) class connections (or LSPs in MPLS context) in a link is used as a path selection criterion, where each BE connection is weighted by its service volume. Path selection for a requested BE service volume is performed by creating a virtual topology in which all links in a network have weighted BE metrics updated to include the effects of the requested BE service volume, and identifying a best path through the virtual topology taking into account the weighted BE metrics.