Abstract: Packet loss mitigation may be provided. First, queue control data may be sent to a first container and then a route may be stalled after sending the queue control data. The route may correspond to a data path that leads to the first container. Next, modified queue control data may be received from the first container and the first container may be deleted safely with empty queues, preventing packet loss in response to receiving the modified queue control data.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for enabling tag networking. In one example, a network device (e.g., switch, router, etc.) is configured to receive a packet of a traffic flow and to analyze the traffic flow to determine the packet belongs to a particular type of traffic. The network device can then add and/or change a tag in a data field of the packet. The tag, among other things, serves as an identifier for the particular type of traffic flow. The tag is identifiable by a downstream node that is preconfigured to recognize the tag and to carry out logic in response to recognizing the tag. Advantageously, the tag functionality of the present approach provides a generalized way of adding information to packets; the information and the associated functionalities are customizable during a runtime of the network.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a network device connected to an Internet Protocol (IP) network and a serial network scans an infrastructure of the serial network. Based on the scanning, the network device can determine one or more serial endpoints within the serial network infrastructure, and may then allocate an IP address to each of the one or more serial endpoints. The network device may then map received IP network traffic into serial protocol commands on the serial network for a destination serial endpoint having an allocated IP address corresponding to a destination IP address of the received IP network traffic, and may also bridge data present on the serial network from a sourcing serial endpoint into an IP message on the IP network with an indication of a corresponding allocated IP address of the sourcing serial endpoint, accordingly.

Abstract: Packet loss mitigation may be provided. First, queue control data may be sent to a first container and then a route may be stalled after sending the queue control data. The route may correspond to a data path that leads to the first container. Next, modified queue control data may be received from the first container and the first container may be deleted safely with empty queues, preventing packet loss in response to receiving the modified queue control data.

Abstract: Using the ALTO Service, networking applications can request through the ALTO protocol information about the underlying network topology from the ISP or Content Provider. The ALTO Service provides information such as network resource preferences with the goal of modifying network resource consumption patterns while maintaining or improving application performance. This document describes, in one example, an ALTO server that implements enhancements to the ALTO service to assign a PID-type attribute to each of a set of one or more PIDs each associated with a subset of one or more endpoints of a network, wherein a PID-type attribute specifies a type for the subset of endpoints associated with the PID. The ALTO server generates an ALTO network map that includes a PID entry to describe each of the PIDs, wherein each PID entry includes a PID-type field that stores the assigned PID-type attribute for the PID described by the PID entry.

Abstract: Bandwidth usage for an existing communication tunnel between a first device and second device is monitored. A determination is made that additional bandwidth is required for communication between the first network device and the second network device. A determination is made that for the addition of the additional bandwidth would exceed available bandwidth for the existing tunnel. Additional bandwidth is established between the first network device and the second network device.

Abstract: In general, techniques are described for dynamically generating attributes from routing topology information and assigning dynamically generated attributes to network map entries to further characterize PIDs described therein. For example, a provider or other entity assigns, within a network device, endpoint types to one or more address prefixes for which the network device originates or forwards route advertisements. For each typed prefix, the network device adds an endpoint type identifier for the assigned endpoint type to route advertisements that traverse or originate with the network device and specify the prefix. An ALTO server peers with router advertisers to receive route advertisements. When the ALTO server receives a route advertisement that includes an endpoint type identifier, the ALTO server maps the endpoint type identifier to a PID attribute and assigns the PID attribute to a PID that includes a prefix identified in the route advertisement.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for enabling tag networking. In one example, a network device (e.g., switch, router, etc.) is configured to receive a packet of a traffic flow and to analyze the traffic flow to determine the packet belongs to a particular type of traffic. The network device can then add and/or change a tag in a data field of the packet. The tag, among other things, serves as an identifier for the particular type of traffic flow. The tag is identifiable by a downstream node that is preconfigured to recognize the tag and to carry out logic in response to recognizing the tag. Advantageously, the tag functionality of the present approach provides a generalized way of adding information to packets; the information and the associated functionalities are customizable during a runtime of the network.

Abstract: An example system and method for facilitating virtual cable modem termination system VCMTS redundancy in cable modem network environments is provided and includes spawning a first instance of a virtual network function (VNF) on a first server in a cable modem network, spawning a second instance of the VNF on a different second server, configuring the second instance to be communicatively coupled to the first instance in a same subnet of the network, and synchronizing (e.g., copying, coordinating, matching, etc.) state between the first instance and the second instance. In specific embodiments, the VNF comprises a VCMTS.

Abstract: Using the ALTO Service, networking applications can request through the ALTO protocol information about the underlying network topology from the ISP or Content Provider. The ALTO Service provides information such as preferences of network resources with the goal of modifying network resource consumption patterns while maintaining or improving application performance. This document describes, in one example, an ALTO server that intersects network and cost maps for a first network with network and cost maps for a second network to generate a master cost map that includes one or more master cost entries that each represent a cost to traverse a network from an endpoint in the first network to an endpoint in the second network. Using the master cost map, a redirector may select a preferred node in the first network with which to service a content request received from a host in the second network.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for enabling tag networking. In one example, a network device (e.g., switch, router, etc.) is configured to receive a packet of a traffic flow and to analyze the traffic flow to determine the packet belongs to a particular type of traffic. The network device can then add and/or change a tag in a data field of the packet. The tag, among other things, serves as an identifier for the particular type of traffic flow. The tag is identifiable by a downstream node that is preconfigured to recognize the tag and to carry out logic in response to recognizing the tag. Advantageously, the tag functionality of the present approach provides a generalized way of adding information to packets; the information and the associated functionalities are customizable during a runtime of the network.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method is provided for using a server computer, creating and storing a first module name, a first indication of a first version, and a first signature for a first data model that is digitally stored in a digital electronic data storage unit; receiving a second data model from the data storage unit and identifying a second module name in the second data model; comparing the second module name of the second data model to the first module name of the first data model; determining that the first module name and the second module name comprise a same name, and in response thereto, identifying a second indication of a second version from a revision field of the second data model; using the server computer, comparing the second indication of the second version from the second data model to the first indication of the first version of the first data model; determining the first indication and the second indication indicate the same version, determining a second signature for the second data model

Abstract: In one embodiment, a network device connected to an Internet Protocol (IP) network and a serial network scans an infrastructure of the serial network. Based on the scanning, the network device can determine one or more serial endpoints within the serial network infrastructure, and may then allocate an IP address to each of the one or more serial endpoints. The network device may then map received IP network traffic into serial protocol commands on the serial network for a destination serial endpoint having an allocated IP address corresponding to a destination IP address of the received IP network traffic, and may also bridge data present on the serial network from a sourcing serial endpoint into an IP message on the IP network with an indication of a corresponding allocated IP address of the sourcing serial endpoint, accordingly.

Abstract: In general, techniques are described for dynamically scheduling and establishing paths in a multi-layer, multi-topology network to provide dynamic network resource allocation and support packet flow steering along paths prescribed at any layer or combination of layers of the network. In one example, a multi-topology path computation element (PCE) accepts requests from client applications for dedicated paths. The PCE receives topology information from network devices and attempts to identify paths through a layer or combination of layers of the network that can be established at the requested time in view of the specifications requested for the dedicated paths and the anticipated bandwidth/capacity available in the network. The PCE schedules the identified paths through the one or more layers of the network to carry traffic for the requested paths. At the scheduled times, the PCE programs path forwarding information into network nodes to establish the scheduled paths.

Abstract: In general, techniques are described for managing content request referrals by keying content requests to a composite key data structure that maps end-user address prefixes and content identifiers to content delivery network servers of downstream CDNs. In one example, a CDN exchange includes a communication module to receive first network prefixes and first content identifiers from a first secondary content delivery network and to receive second network prefixes and second content identifiers from a second secondary content delivery network. A request router of the CDN exchange redirects the content request to the first secondary content delivery network or to the second secondary content delivery network according to a network address of the end user device and a content identifier for the content request.

Abstract: In general, techniques are described for dynamically scheduling and establishing paths in a multi-layer, multi-topology network to provide dynamic network resource allocation and support packet flow steering along paths prescribed at any layer or combination of layers of the network. In one example, a multi-topology path computation element (PCE) accepts requests from client applications for dedicated paths. The PCE receives topology information from network devices and attempts to identify paths through a layer or combination of layers of the network that can be established at the requested time in view of the specifications requested for the dedicated paths and the anticipated bandwidth/capacity available in the network. The PCE schedules the identified paths through the one or more layers of the network to carry traffic for the requested paths. At the scheduled times, the PCE programs path forwarding information into network nodes to establish the scheduled paths.

Abstract: In general, techniques are described for distributing traffic engineering (TE) link information across network routing protocol domain boundaries using a routing protocol. In one example, a network device logically located within a first routing protocol domain includes a routing protocol module executing on a control unit to execute an exterior gateway routing protocol. The routing protocol module of the network device receives an exterior gateway routing protocol advertisement from a router logically located within a second routing protocol domain and decodes traffic engineering information for a traffic engineering link from the exterior gateway routing protocol advertisement. A path computation module of the network device computes a traffic engineered path by selecting the traffic engineering link for inclusion in the traffic engineered path based on the traffic engineering information.

Abstract: Using the ALTO Service, networking applications can request through the ALTO protocol information about the underlying network topology from the ISP or Content Provider. The ALTO Service provides information such as preferences of network resources with the goal of modifying network resource consumption patterns while maintaining or improving application performance. This document describes, in one example, an ALTO server that implements enhancements to the ALTO service to enable initiating incremental updates of network and cost maps to ALTO clients upon receiving status information from a content delivery network (CDN) node.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method is provided for using a server computer, creating and storing a first module name, a first indication of a first version, and a first signature for a first data model that is digitally stored in a digital electronic data storage unit; receiving a second data model from the data storage unit and identifying a second module name in the second data model; comparing the second module name of the second data model to the first module name of the first data model; determining that the first module name and the second module name comprise a same name, and in response thereto, identifying a second indication of a second version from a revision field of the second data model; using the server computer, comparing the second indication of the second version from the second data model to the first indication of the first version of the first data model; determining the first indication and the second indication indicate the same version, determining a second signature for the second data model

Abstract: Bandwidth usage for an existing communication tunnel between a first device and second device is monitored. A determination is made that additional bandwidth is required for communication between the first network device and the second network device. A determination is made that for the addition of the additional bandwidth would exceed available bandwidth for the existing tunnel. Additional bandwidth is established between the first network device and the second network device.