Abstract: Secure re-authentication of host devices roaming between different connection and/or access points within a network controlled by the same administrative domain is described. Platform overhead associated with exchanging information for authentication and/or validation on each new connection during mobility is reduced by enabling prior authenticated network access to influence subsequent network access.

Abstract: Secure enterprise network communication technology provides improved authentication prior to granting network access of enterprise host platforms with the network devices via a backend infrastructure.

Abstract: A computer system includes a service partition, not directly accessible to a user, having a security agent to inspect data entering and exiting the computer system on a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel, and a service partition VPN unit to communicate with a VPN gateway. The computer system also includes a user partition, accessible to a user, having a user partition VPN unit to initiate construction of the VPN tunnel with the VPN gateway. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided through which a packet is transferred within a router through the use of a switch-label. The switch-label is generated upon receipt by a component of the router. The switch label indicates an address within the router of another component within the router that will transmit the packet to a destination outside the router. The switch-label uses an abbreviated address of components within the router. The address is abbreviated because the number of potential addresses within a router is significantly less than the number of addresses outside the router that require a fill address. As a result, transferring of the packet within the router is faster because processing the switch-label using an abbreviated address is faster than processing a full address.

Abstract: A network device may be configured with a primary control element and a second control element. Both the primary and secondary control elements may receive information from one or more forwarding elements. Both the primary and secondary control elements may send control information to the forwarding element. The control information from the secondary control element, however, may be discarded either at the forwarding element or at a blocking agent between the secondary control element and the forwarding element. In this manner, the secondary control element may be synchronized with the primary control element in a stateless manner. If a failure condition is detected, control plane operations may be performed using the secondary control element. As a result, the network device may become fault tolerant, and experience reduced amounts of down time due to failure of one or more elements within the network device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for configuring data plane behavior on network forwarding elements are described. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving, within a network element control plane, protocol configuration information extracted from a protocol application utilizing a network protocol application programming interface (API). Once the protocol configuration information is received, the protocol configuration information is processed using a control interface corresponding to the network protocol implemented by the protocol application. Once the protocol configuration information is processed, the control interface programs one or more data plane forwarding elements of the network element according to protocol configuration information. Accordingly, by providing similar control interfaces for multiple, network protocols, inter-operability between components from multiple vendors is enabled.

Abstract: A method and system comprising classifying packets flowing into a first blade of a router; associating a marker entry with each of the packets based on the classification, the marker entry determining how the packets will be processed by QoS blocks within the first blade; and providing a processing block on a second blade of the router to determine how to process each packet within the second blade based on its marker entry.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to provide fault tolerance for a network device are described.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided through which a packet is transferred within a router through the use of a switch-label. The switch-label is generated upon receipt by a component of the router. The switch label indicates an address within the router of another component within the router that will transmit the packet to a destination outside the router. The switch-label uses an abbreviated address of components within the router. The address is abbreviated because the number of potential addresses within a router is significantly less than the number of addresses outside the router that require a fill address. As a result, transferring of the packet within the router is faster because processing the switch-label using an abbreviated address is faster than processing a full address.