Abstract: Various example embodiments for supporting service differentiation in a communication network are presented herein. The service differentiation may be supported in a constrained network topology of the communication network. The service differentiation may be supported in the constrained network topology of the communication network based on use of one or more constrained network topology slices supported for the constrained network topology of the communication network. The constrained network topology of the communication network may be a Flexible Algorithm topology, in which case the constrained network topology slices may be Flexible Algorithm topology slices.

Abstract: Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method for determining peer status in a pseudowire (PW) node, the method including: sending a first PW status request message to a peer node including a PW node local message ID, PW node remote message ID, and request flag; starting a first retry timer; starting a second retry timer when the first retry timer expires and no response to the first PW status request message is received; starting a first request timer when the second retry timer expires and no response to the first PW status request message is received; and starting a third retry timer when the first request timer expires and no response to the first PW status request message is received.

Abstract: A method for retaining service configuration during test connection to a pseudowire service is disclosed. The method for retaining service configuration during test connection includes the steps of configuring a test service access point; providing a first instruction at a first network element to lock the pseudowire connection; providing a second instruction at a second network element to lock the pseudowire connection; receiving an instruction at said the network element to associate a test service provided at a network management element to said first Service Distribution Point; and providing a loopback instruction to the pseudowire connection. The method for retaining service configuration during test connection to a pseudowire service provides advantages over systems known in the art by eliminating the need for reconfiguring the connection to customer equipment at the point of test and afterwards.

Abstract: Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method of acknowledging a pseudowire (PW) status message by a PW node, the method including: receiving at the PW node a PW status message from a peer node; determining that acknowledging the PW status message will reduce the number of PW status messages sent by the peer node; and sending an acknowledgement message to the peer node acknowledging the receipt of the PW status message from the peer node.

Abstract: Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method for determining peer status in a pseudowire (PW) node, the method including: sending a first PW status request message to a peer node including a PW node local message ID, PW node remote message ID, and request flag; starting a first retry timer; starting a second retry timer when the first retry timer expires and no response to the first PW status request message is received; starting a first request timer when the second retry timer expires and no response to the first PW status request message is received; and starting a third retry timer when the first request timer expires and no response to the first PW status request message is received.

Abstract: Communication network routing apparatus and techniques using logical communication links are disclosed. A routing apparatus identifies a logical communication link that it is capable of being used to establish a virtual connection with another routing apparatus within a virtual connection operational domain, which includes multiple sub-domains, of an underlying communication system. A destination that is associated with the routing apparatus and is reachable through the virtual connection is also identified. Information that is indicative of the identified logical communication link and of the identified destination is provided for distribution from a sub-domain of the routing apparatus in the virtual connection operational domain to another sub-domain within the virtual connection operational domain. This distribution of information enables a routing apparatus in one sub-domain to dynamically route a virtual connection toward a destination in a different sub-domain.