Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide efficient solutions for detecting and transmitting heartbeat frames at an optical line terminal (OLT) of an Ethernet passive optical network (EPON). The processing burden of a host CPU is reduced by shifting some of the processing responsibilities of the host CPU to an embedded CPU. An OAM capture FIFO buffer stores frames for later processing by the embedded CPU, and fields of an OAM vector register are changed whenever a heartbeat frame is detected for an LLID. Embedded CPU polls the OAM vector at a predetermined rate sufficient to maintain link status, so heartbeat messages are not missed even when the OAM capture FIFO buffer overflows. Additionally, an OAM generation buffer efficiently creates new heartbeat messages to be sent to ONUs for each supported LLID by modifying previously transmitted OAM frames with new information specific to the LLIDs.

Abstract: A system and method for carrying control data in a preamble. A control-data bearing preamble is defined to facilitate end-to-end labeling and control-data transport. This control-data bearing preamble provides a unified labeling scheme with minimal overhead, which facilitates greater ease in parsing. The control-data bearing preamble can be converted to/from other control/labeling schemes at the edge of the control-data bearing preamble aware portion of the network.

Abstract: Embodiments enable a network operator to use any (and a single) network management system (NMS) that it desires to manage a network having mixed fiber to the home optical network units (ONUs) and coaxial connected cable modems. For example, embodiments enable a cable company operator to use a DOCSIS (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification) NMS (which the cable company already uses to manage its DOCSIS network) to manage such mixed network, by a simple addition of a DOCSIS Mediation Layer (DML) module between the NMS and the optical line terminal (OLT). On the other hand, embodiments enable a telephone company operator to use a standard EPON (Ethernet Passive Optical Network) OLT NMS with minor OLT and OAM (Operations, Administration, and Maintenance) protocol modifications to manage the same mixed network.

Abstract: Embodiments enable an Ethernet over Coaxial (EoC) Coaxial Media Converter (CMC) that implements only a subset of the functions (e.g., MAC and PHY) of a cable modem termination system (CMTS). The CMC sits between an optical line terminal (OLT) and a plurality of cable modems (CMs) that it serves. From the network management side at the OLT, the CMC appears and can be managed like an optical network unit (ONU). From the subscriber side, the CMC provides the same connectivity functions to the CMs as a CMTS and serves to terminate coaxial connections from the CMs.

Abstract: Embodiments enable a network operator to use any (and a single) network management system (NMS) that it desires to manage a network having mixed fiber to the home optical network units (ONUs) and coaxial connected cable modems. For example, embodiments enable a cable company operator to use a DOCSIS (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification) NMS (which the cable company already uses to manage its DOCSIS network) to manage such mixed network, by a simple addition of a DOCSIS Mediation Layer (DML) module between the NMS and the optical line terminal (OLT). On the other hand, embodiments enable a telephone company operator to use a standard EPON (Ethernet Passive Optical Network) OLT NMS with minor OLT and OAM (Operations, Administration, and Maintenance) protocol modifications to manage the same mixed network.

Abstract: Embodiments enable a network operator to use any (and a single) network management system (NMS) that it desires to manage a network having mixed fiber to the home optical network units (ONUs) and coaxial connected cable modems. For example, embodiments enable a cable company operator to use a DOCSIS (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification) NMS (which the cable company already uses to manage its DOCSIS network) to manage such mixed network, by a simple addition of a DOCSIS Mediation Layer (DML) module between the NMS and the optical line terminal (OLT). On the other hand, embodiments enable a telephone company operator to use a standard EPON (Ethernet Passive Optical Network) OLT NMS with minor OLT and OAM (Operations, Administration, and Maintenance) protocol modifications to manage the same mixed network.

Abstract: A system and method for bandwidth-delay-product (BDP) decoupler. A BDP decoupler mechanism is provided that enables an intermediate network device to facilitate an efficient transfer of traffic from a server to a client. In one embodiment, the intermediate network device can be configured to buffer received data and control the transmission of the buffered data to the client device based on acknowledgment messaging received by the intermediate network device from the client device.

Abstract: A system and method for carrying control data in a preamble. A control-data bearing preamble is defined to facilitate end-to-end labeling and control-data transport. This control-data bearing preamble provides a unified labeling scheme with minimal overhead, which facilitates greater ease in parsing. The control-data bearing preamble can be converted to/from other control/labeling schemes at the edge of the control-data bearing preamble aware portion of the network.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide efficient solutions for detecting and transmitting heartbeat frames at an optical line terminal (OLT) of an Ethernet passive optical network (EPON). The processing burden of a host CPU is reduced by shifting some of the processing responsibilities of the host CPU to an embedded CPU. An OAM capture FIFO buffer stores frames for later processing by the embedded CPU, and fields of an OAM vector register are changed whenever a heartbeat frame is detected for an LLID. Embedded CPU polls the OAM vector at a predetermined rate sufficient to maintain link status, so heartbeat messages are not missed even when the OAM capture FIFO buffer overflows. Additionally, an OAM generation buffer efficiently creates new heartbeat messages to be sent to ONUs for each supported LLID by modifying previously transmitted OAM frames with new information specific to the LLIDs.

Abstract: Embodiments enable an Ethernet over Coaxial (EoC) Coaxial Media Converter (CMC) that implements only a subset of the functions (e.g., MAC and PHY) of a cable modem termination system (CMTS). The CMC sits between an optical line terminal (OLT) and a plurality of cable modems (CMs) that it serves. From the network management side at the OLT, the CMC appears and can be managed like an optical network unit (ONU). From the subscriber side, the CMC provides the same connectivity functions to the CMs as a CMTS and serves to terminate coaxial connections from the CMs.

Abstract: Embodiments enable a network operator to use any (and a single) network management system (NMS) that it desires to manage a network having mixed fiber to the home optical network units (ONUs) and coaxial connected cable modems. For example, embodiments enable a cable company operator to use a DOCSIS (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification) NMS (which the cable company already uses to manage its DOCSIS network) to manage such mixed network, by a simple addition of a DOCSIS Mediation Layer (DML) module between the NMS and the optical line terminal (OLT). On the other hand, embodiments enable a telephone company operator to use a standard EPON (Ethernet Passive Optical Network) OLT NMS with minor OLT and OAM (Operations, Administration, and Maintenance) protocol modifications to manage the same mixed network.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates bandwidth-efficient multicast in EPONs. The system includes a central node and at least one remote node. Downstream data from the central node is broadcast through a passive optical coupler to remote nodes. In the other direction, upstream data from a remote node is transmitted through the passive optical coupler to the central node in a unicast manner. During operation, the system first selects a common multicast LLID to represent a number of remote nodes that comprise a multicast group. Upon receiving a multicast message destined to the multicast group, the system sends the multicast message along with the multicast LLID for the multicast group, whereby the multicast message is broadcast through the passive optical coupler in the downstream direction. This allows each remote node belonging to the multicast group to receive the multicast message by matching the multicast LLID.