Abstract: An asymmetrical network switch adapted to auto-discover and advertise into a traffic engineering, TE, domain a switch detailed connectivity matrix, SDCM, containing for each allowed switching combination of interfaces of said asymmetrical network switch at least one switch detailed connectivity matrix entry, SDCME, wherein each said SDCME represents an internal to said asymmetrical network switch potential connection interconnecting the interfaces of said interface switching combination, wherein a SDCME advertisement includes a switch detailed connectivity matrix entry cost vector, SDCME CV, which comprises a set of attributes describing cost penalties in terms of various service characteristics that a network service incurs if it selects a path or a tree traversing the asymmetrical switch in accordance with the SDCME.

Abstract: A Generalized-Multi-Protocol Label Switching controlled network is described, as is a method for managing services in the network under conditions of disrupted control plane connectivity. Nodes of the network use a Resource Reservation Protocol with Traffic Engineering extension, RSVP-TE, to allocate and provision resources of the network. Each of the nodes is adapted to evaluate local RSVP Path or Resv state data after having sent at least one signaling message to a receiving neighboring node without receipt of an acknowledgement message from said receiving node within a configurable time to determine an IP address of a node being located after the non-responsive receiving node along a service path of a service in a downstream or upstream direction. Each node is adapted to send the signaling message to the determined IP address of the next node located behind the non-responsive receiving node along the service path.

Abstract: A method for traffic engineering on an optical transport network, OTN, comprising network elements implementing asymmetric OTN switches, said method comprising discovering by each network element of said network ODUk containers available on each of locally terminated traffic engineering, TE, links and identifying the switching limitations of the discovered ODUk containers with respect to how said ODUk containers are switchable onto the ODUk containers available on other locally terminated TE links; identifying by said network element groups of ODUk containers available on a given TE link exhibiting identical switching limitations; negotiating by said network element with its neighboring network elements properties of to be advertised child TE links each associated with a separate ODUk group; and advertising by said network element for each identified group of ODUk containers a separate child TE link parallel to the original parent TE link, wherein each advertised child TE link indicates the total number of av

Abstract: A method for complementing dynamic resource-level path computation with a resource grouping constraint in a network comprising the steps of deriving a resource group function, RGF, from relationships amongst network resources within at least one network element forming at least one network resource group, NRG, and performing the resource-level path computation accounting for the derived resource group function, RGF.

Abstract: The subject matter described herein includes using a path computation element communication protocol (PCEP) as a signaling protocol during dynamic service provisioning in networks. According to one aspect of the subject matter described herein, a network uses a hard state point-to-point protocol as a signaling protocol during dynamic service provisioning in a control plane of the network. In one implementation, the point-to-point protocol is a path computation element communication protocol (PCEP).

Abstract: A method for scaling traffic engineering, TE, routing in a network, having a plurality of network elements (nodes) connected in a given layer to each other via links TE domain segments of a TE domain of said network are collapsed into a virtual TE nodes (VNs). Each VN having an allocated DE domain unique identifier and a detailed connectivity matrix, DCM, to provide a hierarchically virtualized network topology of the network.

Abstract: A network with a network wide extended policy framework comprising: path computation clients (PCCs), associated with at least one local policy enforcement point (PEP); path computation servers (PCSs), associated with at least one policy decision point (PDP). The PEPs and PDPs adapted to exchange attributes determined by at least one PDP. PDPs are adapted to identify network elements/network services requiring identical configuration parameters by evaluating parameters advertised in the network and update policy related to identified groups in case of configuration error. Updated policy is distributed by PDP in policy notification to PEPs associated with network elements/network services of identified group. The PEPs receiving policy notification comprising updated policy from PDP adapted to translate the updated policy into configuration settings of network elements/network services the identified group.

Abstract: A method for scaling traffic engineering, TE, routing in a network, having a plurality of network elements (nodes) connected in a given layer to each other via links TE domain segments of a TE domain of said network are collapsed into a virtual TE nodes (VNs). Each VN having an allocated DE domain unique identifier and a detailed connectivity matrix, DCM, to provide a hierarchically virtualized network topology of the network.

Abstract: An asymmetrical network switch adapted to auto-discover and advertise into a traffic engineering, TE, domain a switch detailed connectivity matrix, SDCM, containing for each allowed switching combination of interfaces of said asymmetrical network switch at least one switch detailed connectivity matrix entry, SDCME, wherein each said SDCME represents an internal to said asymmetrical network switch potential connection interconnecting the interfaces of said interface switching combination, wherein a SDCME advertisement includes a switch detailed connectivity matrix entry cost vector, SDCME CV, which comprises a set of attributes describing cost penalties in terms of various service characteristics that a network service incurs if it selects a path or a tree traversing the asymmetrical switch in accordance with the SDCME.

Abstract: A method for provisioning a transport service in a multi-domain multi-layer network comprising at least one client layer network domain and at least one server layer network domain, comprising providing a virtual topology of each of said server layer network domain depending on connectivity requirements set by each of the served client layer network domains for a connectivity across said server layer network domains as at least one segment of said client layer network domain topology; determining an end-to-end path between two client nodes across one or more said server layer network domains based on an overlay topology comprising the virtual topologies provided by said server layer network domains, access links connecting client network nodes of said client layer network domains to said server layer network domains, and inter-domain links interconnecting said server layer network domains in the client layer; and provisioning a transport service via the determined end-to-end path.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing network failure independent links in a multilayer network comprising a client layer and a server layer, wherein each link of said client layer is served by a connection provisioned in said server layer, wherein mutually disjoint paths for said connections which serve links in said client layer that belong to the same predetermined mutually disjoint link group are calculated.

Abstract: A Generalized-Multi-Protocol Label Switching controlled network is described, as is a method for managing services in the network under conditions of disrupted control plane connectivity. Nodes of the network use a Resource Reservation Protocol with Traffic Engineering extension, RSVP-TE, to allocate and provision resources of the network. Each of the nodes is adapted to evaluate local RSVP Path or Resv state data after having sent at least one signaling message to a receiving neighboring node without receipt of an acknowledgement message from said receiving node within a configurable time to determine an IP address of a node being located after the non-responsive receiving node along a service path of a service in a downstream or upstream direction. Each node is adapted to send the signaling message to the determined IP address of the next node located behind the non-responsive receiving node along the service path.

Abstract: The subject matter described herein includes using a path computation element communication protocol (PCEP) as a signaling protocol during dynamic service provisioning in networks. According to one aspect of the subject matter described herein, a network uses a hard state point-to-point protocol as a signaling protocol during dynamic service provisioning in a control plane of the network. In one implementation, the point-to-point protocol is a path computation element communication protocol (PCEP).

Abstract: A network with a network wide extended policy framework comprising: path computation clients (PCCs), associated with at least one local policy enforcement point (PEP); path computation servers (PCSs), associated with at least one policy decision point (PDP). The PEPs and PDPs adapted to exchange attributes determined by at least one PDP. PDPs are adapted to identify network elements network services requiring identical configuration parameters by evaluating parameters advertised in the network and update policy related to identified groups in case of configuration error. Updated policy is distributed by PDP in policy notification to PEPs associated with network elements network services of identified group. The PEPs receiving policy notification comprising updated policy from PDP adapted to translate the updated policy into configuration settings of network elements network services the identified group.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing network failure independent links in a multilayer network comprising a client layer and a server layer, wherein each link of said client layer is served by a connection provisioned in said server layer, wherein mutually disjoint paths for said connections which serve links in said client layer that belong to the same predetermined mutually disjoint link group are calculated.

Abstract: A method for complementing dynamic resource-level path computation with a resource grouping constraint in a network comprising the steps of deriving a resource group function, RGF, from relationships amongst network resources within at least one network element forming at least one network resource group, NRG, and performing the resource-level path computation accounting for the derived resource group function, RGF.