Abstract: Network resources for a call between a calling party and a called party are allocated. The network resources for the call are reserved based on a reservation request. The network resources are reserved before any one network resource from the reserved network resources is committed. The reserved network resources for the call are committed when a called party indicates acceptance for the call.

Abstract: Segmented resource reservation is performed for at least one call. network resources associated with a first network are reserved according to that network's own reservation policy and based on an indication from a calling party. For the at least one call, network resources associated with a second network are reserved according to its own reservation policy and based on an indication from a called party. The second network is coupled to the first network.

Abstract: A method of obtaining content includes receiving a playfile. The playfile includes a chunk ID corresponding to a chunk of the content, a packet ID corresponding to a packet of the chunk, and a hash of the packet. The method further includes obtaining the chunk from a peer, determining a calculated hash for the packet, and discarding the chunk when the calculated hash does not match the hash in the playfile.

Abstract: Recommendation systems are widely used in Internet applications. In current recommendation systems, users only play a passive role and have limited control over the recommendation generation process. As a result, there is often considerable mismatch between the recommendations made by these systems and the actual user interests, which are fine-grained and constantly evolving. With a user-powered distributed recommendation architecture, individual users can flexibly define fine-grained communities of interest in a declarative fashion and obtain recommendations accurately tailored to their interests by aggregating opinions of users in such communities. By combining a progressive sampling technique with data perturbation methods, the recommendation system is both scalable and privacy-preserving.

Abstract: A call is forwarded by connecting the call between an originating location and a forwarding location without connecting the call through a terminating location. The originating location is associated with a calling party. The terminating location is associated with a dialed number. The terminating location and the forwarding location is associated with the called party. A bill for the call is apportioned between the calling party and the called party. The bill portion for the calling party is a function of the originating location and the terminating location. The bill portion for the called party is a function of the terminating location and the forwarding location.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for increasing the capability of a network topology model having a plurality of nodes connected by existing links to maintain service continuity in the presence of faults. The steps of the method include adding new links to the network topology model to protect against single node failures, and adjusting link weights for the network topology model to reduce at least one of a cost of network operation and an imbalance in link utilizations. Preferably, the link weights are adjusted to reduce the imbalance in link utilizations without deteriorating the cost of network operation. The link weights are preferably adjusted to reduce the cost of network operation without increasing the imbalance in link utilizations. Preferably, the link weights are adjusted to reduce the cost of network operation without increasing the imbalance in link utilizations while keeping the utilization for each link below a specific threshold.

Abstract: Providing transport protocol within a communication network having a lossy link. The receiver distinguishes between packets received with non-congestion bit errors and packets having been not at all received due to congestion. When packets are received with non-congestion bit errors, the receiver sends selective acknowledgments indicating that the packets were received with bit errors while suppressing duplicate acknowledgments to prevent the invocation of a congestion mechanism.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for increasing the capability of a network topology model having a plurality of nodes connected by existing links to maintain service continuity in the presence of faults. The steps of the method include adding new links to the network topology model to protect against single node failures, and adjusting link weights for the network topology model to reduce at least one of a cost of network operation and an imbalance in link utilizations. Preferably, the link weights are adjusted to reduce the imbalance in link utilizations without deteriorating the cost of network operation. The link weights are preferably adjusted to reduce the cost of network operation without increasing the imbalance in link utilizations. Preferably, the link weights are adjusted to reduce the cost of network operation without increasing the imbalance in link utilizations while keeping the utilization for each link below a specific threshold.

Abstract: Example methods and apparatus to deploy and monitor network layer functionalities are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes receiving an Internet Protocol (IP) packet at an input of a server, the IP packet being received from a communicatively coupled router, identifying the IP packet as a production IP packet or a non-production IP packets, when the IP packet is the non-production IP packet, manipulating data within the IP packet to monitor network layer functionality, forwarding the manipulated non-production IP packet to the router, and when the IP packet is the production IP packet, forwarding the production IP packet to the router without manipulating data within the IP packet.

Abstract: Example methods and apparatus to monitor network layer functionalities are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes receiving a first probe packet at an input of a first server, the first probe packet being received from a router, the first probe packet being generated and transmitted from a second server that is one-hop away from the first server in a network, determining if the first server is a final destination of the first probe packet, and if the first server is not the final destination of the first probe packet, generating a second probe packet and transmitting the second probe packet to the router for transmission toward the final destination.

Abstract: Example methods and apparatus to distribute network IP traffic are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes receiving a first IP control packet at an input of a first server, the first IP control packet being received from a first router, selecting a second router within a router array associated with the first router to send the first IP control packet, the first server selecting the second router by matching a destination IP address of the first IP control packet to a first IP address subspace associated with the second router, transmitting the first IP control packet to the second router, and updating a forwarding table in the first router by associating the destination IP address of the first IP control packet with a first control path from the first router to the second router.

Abstract: Providing transport protocol within a communication network having a lossy link. The receiver distinguishes between packets received with non-congestion bit errors and packets having been not at all received due to congestion. When packets are received with non-congestion bit errors, the receiver sends selective acknowledgments indicating that the packets were received with bit errors while suppressing duplicate acknowledgments to prevent the invocation of a congestion mechanism.

Abstract: A transport protocol that achieves improved performance in an environment where paths are lossy and a plurality of paths are employed to transfer data, essentially in parallel, from a source to a destination. The protocol is implemented with the aid of an aggregate flow manager (AFM) at the source that considers and controls the data flow through the plurality of paths. With some preselected regularity the AFM determines a number of packets to be included in a Forward Error Correction (FEC) block of packets, creates the block, and transmits the segments of the block over the plurality of paths. As necessary, the destination sends information to the source of what additional information needs to be sent. This additional information might be reactive error correcting (RFEC) packets, or a retransmission of the missed packets.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for automated provisioning for customer premises transport equipment supporting both circuit and packet traffic.

Abstract: A method and system are described to multicast with an adaptive dual state. The system receives multicast traffic over a membership tree including a first plurality of nodes connected in a first topology destined for a plurality of multicast members of a first multicast group. Next, the system determines a rate of multicast traffic that exceeds a predetermined threshold based on the receiving the multicast traffic. Next, the system generates a dissemination tree including a second plurality of nodes connected in a second topology to reduce a number of hops to communicate the multicast traffic to the plurality of multicast members of the first multicast group. Finally, the system forwards the multicast traffic to the plurality of multicast members of the first multicast group over the dissemination tree.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described to store state used to forward multicast traffic. The system includes a receiving module to receive request to add a first node to a membership tree. The membership tree includes a first plurality of nodes associated with a multicast group. The system further includes a processing module to identify a second node in the first plurality of nodes and to communicate a node identifier that identifies the first node over a network to the second node. The node identifier is to be stored at the second node to add the first node to the membership tree. The node identifier is further to be stored in the membership tree exclusively at the second node to enable the second node to forward the multicast traffic to the first node.

Abstract: Network resources for a call between a calling party and a called party are allocated. The network resources for the call are reserved based on a reservation request. In particular, the network resources for the call are reserved based on a reservation request. Prior to the reservation request being made, one or more operational parameters for the call are established by a gate controller and sent to a network edge device or other routing entity associated with one of the parties. An identifier, illustratively a so-called gate identification, is sent to that party. Thereafter the routing entity receives the identifier from the associated party in, for example, the aforementioned resource reservation request. The routing entity is able to use the identifier to determine the one or more parameters established for the call and to thereupon cause the call to be established—including the reserving of resources—in a way that is consistent with the one or more parameters.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for effectively supporting resource allocation and admission control of a Virtual Private Network in a service provider network.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for effectively supporting resource allocation and admission control of a Virtual Private Network in a service provider network.

Abstract: Provided are apparatuses and methods for transmitting or receiving data packets in a data block in a communication network with a transport protocol. In one example, a loss tolerant TCP protocol is used in which a maximum segment size (MSS) may be adapted to a minimum granularity of a congestion window. Also, proactive forward error correction (FEC) packets may be added to a window of the data block. The number of proactive FEC packets may be determined, for example, based on an estimate erasure rate. In addition, reactive FEC packets may be added to the data block. Also, a receiver may receive data packets in a data block and process a selective acknowledgment (SACK) responsive to the data packets received.