Abstract: Various exemplary embodiments are a method and of discovering medium access control (MAC) addresses in a network and a related access node including one or more of the following: receiving, at an access node, a diagnostic message from an operator, the diagnostic message comprising physical port information and indicating that at least a portion of a MAC address of a destination bridge port is unknown to the operator; forwarding the diagnostic message to a respective bridge port of the access node; determining whether the physical port information specified in the diagnostic message corresponds to a physical port of the respective bridge port; and sending a reply message to the operator specifying a MAC address of the respective bridge port.

Abstract: Various exemplary embodiments are a method and of discovering medium access control (MAC) addresses in a network and a related access node including one or more of the following: receiving, at an access node, a diagnostic message from an operator, the diagnostic message comprising physical port information and indicating that at least a portion of a MAC address of a destination bridge port is unknown to the operator; forwarding the diagnostic message to a respective bridge port of the access node; determining whether the physical port information specified in the diagnostic message corresponds to a physical port of the respective bridge port; and sending a reply message to the operator specifying a MAC address of the respective bridge port.

Abstract: A method and node is provided for setting up a diverse path of switched connections in a network. Results from a trace of a primary path are added to a setup signal for the diverse path. The results from the trace include connection identifications from the primary path, such as node and port identifications. In exemplary embodiments the trace is a connection trace or a path trace.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for protecting a connection during implementation of an Active Connection Modify request. Before initiating the ACM request, an alternate connection between the source node and the destination node of the connection are established using Domain-Based Rerouting. The alternate connection may be established in conformance either with the traffic parameters of the existing connection or with the new traffic parameters specified in the ACM request. If the connection along the original connection is to be torn as a result of lost ACM signaling messages, the connection is first switched to the alternate connection in a hitless manner. If the alternate connection is established in conformance with the new traffic parameters, and the ACM request can not be implemented along the original connection, due for example to resource shortage along the original connection, then the connection is switched to the alternate connection in a hitless manner.