Abstract: Aspects of embodiments provide methods and network criticality managers for controlling data traffic in a network. The method may include: obtaining network topology information from a plurality of physical resources used to transfer data traffic in the network; determining priority levels for data traffic in the network; using the network topology information and the determined priority levels to calculate criticality values for physical resources from among the plurality of physical resources, wherein the criticality values for the physical resources indicate the relative importance of the physical resources in the network; and controlling the data traffic in the network based on the calculated criticality values.

Abstract: A method of managing a virtual network, VN, comprising a plurality of VN members comprises associating (710) one or more of the VN members with a first group, the first group including VN members requiring dedicated resource allocations for their corresponding network tunnels, and associating (720) others of the VN members with a second group, the second group comprising VN members that may share resource allocations with other VN members of the second group. Paths are assigned (730, 740) through the one or more physical network domains for the VN members such that the assigned paths for the VN members of the first group provide dedicated resource allocations to each VN member of the first group and such that at least one pair of VN members of the second group traversing a common physical link share a bandwidth allocation for the common physical link.

Abstract: Aspects of embodiments provide methods and network criticality managers for controlling data traffic in a network. The method may include: obtaining network topology information from a plurality of physical resources used to transfer data traffic in the network; determining priority levels for data traffic in the network; using the network topology information and the determined priority levels to calculate criticality values for physical resources from among the plurality of physical resources, wherein the criticality values for the physical resources indicate the relative importance of the physical resources in the network; and controlling the data traffic in the network based on the calculated criticality values.

Abstract: A method of managing a virtual network, VN, comprising a plurality of VN members comprises associating (710) one or more of the VN members with a first group, the first group including VN members requiring dedicated resource allocations for their corresponding network tunnels, and associating (720) others of the VN members with a second group, the second group comprising VN members that may share resource allocations with other VN members of the second group. Paths are assigned (730, 740) through the one or more physical network domains for the VN members such that the assigned paths for the VN members of the first group provide dedicated resource allocations to each VN member of the first group and such that at least one pair of VN members of the second group traversing a common physical link share a bandwidth allocation for the common physical link.

Abstract: It is disclosed a coordinator (22), a physical network controller (24, 26) and methods therein for enabling end-point mobility of a traffic engineering, TE, tunnel in a multi-domain network. Based on a request for virtual network configuration of one or both of the ingress and the egress end-points of the TE tunnel, the coordinator of a multi-domain network determines 54, S416 a second request for virtualizing said one or both of the ingress and the egress end-points of the TE tunnel. The physical network controller may then virtualize end-points of the TE tunnel, providing a virtualized end-point, VEP, TE tunnel, having end-point mobility capacity. Recovery mechanisms of tunnel paths may be efficiently implemented. The present disclosure also provides scalability improvements and operational expenditure, OPEX, savings, as compared to state of art TE tunnels.

Abstract: It is disclosed a coordinator (22), a physical network controller (24, 26) and methods therein for enabling end-point mobility of a traffic engineering, TE, tunnel in a multi-domain network. Based on a request for virtual network configuration of one or both of the ingress and the egress end-points of the TE tunnel, the coordinator of a multi-domain network determines 54, S416 a second request for virtualizing said one or both of the ingress and the egress end-points of the TE tunnel. The physical network controller may then virtualize end-points of the TE tunnel, providing a virtualized end-point, VEP, TE tunnel, having end-point mobility capacity. Recovery mechanisms of tunnel paths may be efficiently implemented. The present disclosure also provides scalability improvements and operational expenditure, OPEX, savings, as compared to state of art TE tunnels.

Abstract: An in band control channel is created between nodes of a communication network in which the nodes have limited capability of inspecting the payload of packets to be transported over the network. The in band control channel is created by transmitting a plurality of dummy packets, each dummy packet having one of a plurality of different predetermined lengths, the sequence of dummy packets defining a code corresponding to at least one control command.

Abstract: An in band control channel is created between nodes of a communication network in which the nodes have limited capability of inspecting the payload of packets to be transported over the network. The in band control channel is created by transmitting a plurality of dummy packets, each dummy packet having one of a plurality of different predetermined lengths, the sequence of dummy packets defining a code corresponding to at least one control command.