Abstract: A downhole tool (32) comprises a tool housing (34) defining a central bore (35) and including a fluid port (20), and a valve member (40) mounted within the housing (34) and being moveable from a closed position in which the fluid port (20) is blocked to an open position in which the fluid port (20) is opened. The tool (32) further comprises a catching arrangement (41) mounted within the housing (34) and comprising one or more radially moveable seat members (106), and being configurable from a free configuration in which the seat members (106) permit an object (48) to pass through the tool (32), to a catching configuration in which the seat members (106) catch an object (48) passing through the tool (32).

Abstract: A downhole tool (32) comprises a tool housing (34) defining a central bore (35) and including a fluid port (20), and a valve member (40) mounted within the housing (34) and being moveable from a closed position in which the fluid port (20) is blocked to an open position in which the fluid port (20) is opened. The tool (32) further comprises a catching arrangement (41) mounted within the housing (34) and comprising one or more radially moveable seat members (106), and being configurable from a free configuration in which the seat members (106) permit an object (48) to pass through the tool (32), to a catching configuration in which the seat members (106) catch an object (48) passing through the tool (32).

Abstract: Systems and methods for quick access and control of a blown-out well or well that is flowing uncontrollably into the environment. Preferred embodiments of the present invention provide a re-entry of the casing of the blown-out well below the mud line and the inoperable blowout preventer. The present invention also provides a method to re-enter a production, or injection well, either subsea below the mud line or above the mud line for surface facility applications. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a miniature wellbore is created from the outer casing through the various smaller casing strings into the final wellbore to protect the structural integrity of the well. Once the casing is safely penetrated, coil tubing and or kill weight fluid can be introduced to stop the uncontrolled flow of reservoir fluid. The well can then be sealed with cement and abandoned as normal practice dictates.

Abstract: The present invention utilizes specific referential tables for forwarding decisions while maintaining current mechanisms of Ethernet addressing and QoS marking. The referential tables are utilized for forwarding decisions based on any and/or multiple fields within the packets simultaneously, such as, for example, incoming port number, incoming MAC, incoming VLAN, outgoing MAC, outgoing VLAN, P-bits, DSCP, MPLS label, TCP/UDP port numbers, IP, SIP, HTTP, and the like. A user can define the forwarding criteria based on any combination/permutation fields in the packet. Advantageously, the present invention removes the need to introduce explicit tunnel labels in the Ethernet frame in order to maintain the desired QoS within the network removing explicit labeling requirements.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for quickly determining the status of a network device in a network communicates status inquiry messages over the forwarding plane of one network device to at least one neighboring network device. The status inquiry messages indicate the connectivity status with at least one neighboring network device.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for video processing, such as transcoding, storage, quality testing, and the like, in network edge devices. The present invention embeds various video processing capabilities within a network to provide advantages, such as superior per-user video handling, reduced network bandwidth, increased service offerings, and the like.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for quickly determining the status of a network device in a network communicates status inquiry messages over the forwarding plane of one network device to at least one neighboring network device The status inquiry messages indicate the connectivity status with at least one neighboring network device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for quickly determining the status of a network device in a network communicates status inquiry messages over the forwarding plane of one network device to at least one neighboring network device. The status inquiry messages indicate the connectivity status with at least one neighboring network device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for quickly determining the status of a network device in a network communicates status inquiry messages over the forwarding plane of one network device to at least one neighboring network device. The status inquiry messages indicate the connectivity status with at least one neighboring network device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for quickly determining the status of a network device in a network communicates status inquiry messages over the forwarding plane of one network devise to at least one neighboring network device. The status inquiry messages indicate the connectivity status with at least one neighboring network device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for quickly determining the status of a network device in a network communicates status inquiry messages over the forwarding plane of one network device to at least one neighboring network device. The status inquiry messages indicate the connectivity status with at least one neighboring network device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for quickly determining the status of a network device in a network communicates status inquiry messages over the forwarding plane of one network device to at least one neighboring network device. The status inquiry messages indicate the connectivity status with at least one neighboring network device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for quickly determining the status of a network device in a network communicates status inquiry messages over the forwarding plane of one network device to at least one neighboring network device. The status inquiry messages indicate the connectivity status with at least one neighboring device. The status inquiry messages are transmitted periodically to the at least one neighboring device. In addition, the network device may communicate an advertisement message over the control plane to discover the at least one neighboring network device prior to the communication of the status inquiry messages over the forwarding plane. The network devices may negotiate communication parameters for the exchange of status inquiry messages with the at least one network device.

Abstract: Systems and methods for self-healing Ethernet topologies which are compatible with PBT, which use standards-based protocols, which do not self-configure, and which use Ethernet OAM are provided. Interconnected nodes are configured with a primary and secondary path which is determined by VLANs, MPLS label, Provider Backbone Bridge Traffic Engineering (PBB-TE) VLAN ID (VID), Frame Relay (FR), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) Virtual Circuits (VCs), and the like. One or more head-end nodes are designated for terminating each path and for performing cross-connects between the primary and secondary paths. IEEE 802.1ag Continuity Check Messages (CCM) are transmitted by all nodes on both the primary and secondary routes. Responsive to a loss of a predetermined number of CCM messages, traffic is switched to the secondary route. In non-fault conditions, both the paths for the primary and secondary routes can carry traffic.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for Ethernet Connectivity Fault Management (CFM) extensions to provide a CFM messaging mechanism for support of information exchange and the like, in addition to end-to-end connectivity and fault management. In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention utilizes CFM extensions to provide Pseudowire (PW) MAC addressing. Here, the present invention can enable the exchanging of MAC addresses and other attributes for PDH pseudowire transport. Advantageously, this avoids involving the OSS/EMS/NMS in pre-provisioning these necessary but arbitrary attributes across the network elements supporting a pseudowire service. Also, the present invention can be extended to support numerous other applications involving sharing of attributes between nodes over the extensions provided herein.

Abstract: A method and an agent (500) are provided for the management and control of data files, in particular, the management of shared documents across a network to enable collaboration between users. The agent (500) comprises a collaborative event manager (180) to detect changes made to an open copy of the file that is associated with a first client device (100); a network manager (155) to determine whether a connection can be made with one or more further clients devices (130) connected to a network (120); and an offline manager (170) couplable to the network manager (155) to persist changes detected by the collaborative event manager (180) when a connection cannot be made; wherein the network manager (155) is adapted to selectively transmit the changes across the network (120) to one or more of the said further client devices (130) when a connection can be made, thereby instructing one or more respective agents to apply said changes to respective copies of said file.

Abstract: The method comprises defining a group having at least one member that has a knowledge of the selected subject. A personal agent is provided for each member of the group. The personal agent is configured to discover an availability of the corresponding member through selected availability policies submitted to the personal agent. A group agent is provided for the group configured to communicate with at least one personal agent in the group to report on the availability of the corresponding members of the group. An availability of at least one member of the group to communicate with a user about the selected subject over the digital communication network is determined using the group agent. The availability of the at least one member of the group is reported to enable the user to determine the availability of the group to communicate about the selected subject.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for Ethernet Connectivity Fault Management (CFM) extensions to provide a CFM messaging mechanism for support of information exchange and the like, in addition to end-to-end connectivity and fault management. In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention utilizes CFM extensions to provide Pseudowire (PW) MAC addressing. Here, the present invention can enable the exchanging of MAC addresses and other attributes for PDH pseudowire transport. Advantageously, this avoids involving the OSS/EMS/NMS in pre-provisioning these necessary but arbitrary attributes across the network elements supporting a pseudowire service. Also, the present invention can be extended to support numerous other applications involving sharing of attributes between nodes over the extensions provided herein.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for video processing, such as transcoding, storage, quality testing, and the like, in network edge devices. The present invention embeds various video processing capabilities within a network to provide advantages, such as superior per-user video handling, reduced network bandwidth, increased service offerings, and the like.

Abstract: The present invention utilizes specific referential tables for forwarding decisions while maintaining current mechanisms of Ethernet addressing and QoS marking. The referential tables are utilized for forwarding decisions based on any and/or multiple fields within the packets simultaneously, such as, for example, incoming port number, incoming MAC, incoming VLAN, outgoing MAC, outgoing VLAN, P-bits, DSCP, MPLS label, TCP/UDP port numbers, IP, SIP, HTTP, and the like. A user can define the forwarding criteria based on any combination/permutation fields in the packet. Advantageously, the present invention removes the need to introduce explicit tunnel labels in the Ethernet frame in order to maintain the desired QoS within the network removing explicit labeling requirements.