Abstract: A method and system is provided for increasing participation in a standby router protocol (SRP) without increasing the amount of network traffic due to SRP messaging. One or more domain master VLANs participate in an SRP on behalf of numerous member VLANs belonging to the domain master VLAN's domain. The domain master VLANs are associated with at least one virtual router. Each domain member VLAN follows the current default routing configuration for the domain master VLAN as determined in accordance with the SRP election process defined for that virtual router. An end-host attached to a host-specific port on an SRP router participates in the SRP by using a router bridge connection established between the SRP router and other SRP routers supporting the virtual router. Each end-host on a host-specific port follows the current default routing configuration implemented by the current master SRP router as determined in accordance with the SRP election process defined for that virtual router.

Abstract: Methods and systems for associating and translating VLAN tags are disclosed. In one implementation, multiple different member VLAN tags are associated with a translation VLAN tag. When a frame addressed to an unknown MAC address and containing one of the member VLAN tags is received, the frame is flooded to the translation VLAN and to ports associated with the source member VLAN other than the originating port. In the copy sent to the translation VLAN, the VLAN tag is replaced with the tag of the translation VLAN, for tagged ports. For untagged ports, the input VLAN tag may simply be stripped from the frames. When a layer 2 frame addressed to an unknown MAC address and containing the translation VLAN tag is received, the layer 2 frame is flooded to each of the member VLANs and to ports of the translation VLAN other than the originating port. The VLAN tag in the frames forwarded to each of the member VLANs may be replaced with the VLAN tag corresponding to each member VLAN, for tagged ports.

Abstract: A method and system is provided in which MAN traffic is segregated at a customer and a provider domain level. A switch at the edge of the MAN encapsulates a data packet in a new header, which is used to specify the customer domain tags. The data packet is encapsulated further in another new header, which is used to specify new VMAN tags. The nested encapsulation is repeated as necessary until the data packet is forwarded to a remote switch at the edge of the MAN in accordance with the VMAN configuration or the source and destination address in the original data packet. The remote switch strips the VMAN tags from the data packet, and forwards the stripped data packet to the receiving customer domain as specified in the customer domain tag.

Abstract: A computing system receives a compressed archive file that includes a one or more new executable software modules, and a installation file specifying instructions for installing such modules on the computing system. The modules and the installation file are extracted from the compressed archive file, and the modules installed in accordance with the instructions. Instances of executing software modules that correspond to the installed modules are notified about their impending termination. The instances are then terminated before launching corresponding instances of the installed modules.

Abstract: A method and system is provided to control and check run-time process dependencies. When a process manager receives a request to start a new process, the process manager accesses a configuration file to check if the new process depends on any other processes to be running and what versions of these prerequisite processes are required. If an exact version is specified in the configuration file, the prerequisite process version must match the exact version specified to be compatible with the new process. If a range of acceptable versions is specified in the configuration file, the prerequisite process version must fall within the range of acceptable versions to be compatible with the new process. If a minimum acceptable version is specified in the configuration file, then the prerequisite process version must be greater than or equal to the minimum acceptable version specified.

Abstract: A packet processing system architecture and method are provided. According to a first aspect of the invention, packet parser functions are distributed throughout a packet processing system comprising a packet classification system and a packet modification system. According to a second aspect of the invention, an egress mirroring function is provided to the system. According to a third aspect of the invention, a multi-dimensional quality of service indicator for a packet is provided. According to a fourth aspect of the invention, a cascaded combination of multiple, replicated packet processing systems is used to process a packet. A fifth aspect of the invention involves any combination of one or more of the foregoing.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for fast route table updates. A route table entry is identified, and a subsequent route table entry is located using the identified route table entry. All subsequent route table entries are identified using the previous route table entry until all route table entries associated with a predetermined characteristic are identified. The identified entries may be purged or transferred from one route table to another. The predetermined characteristic may be that the route table entries where discovered by a common routing protocol. Route table entries associated with a common routing protocol that is inoperative for a predetermined period are purged.

Abstract: A packet processing system architecture and method are provided. According to a first aspect of the invention, a plurality of quality of service indicators are provided for a packet, each with an assigned priority, and a configurable priority resolution scheme is utilized to select one of the quality of service indicators for assigning to the packet. According to a second aspect of the invention, wide data paths are utilized in selected areas of the system, while avoiding universal utilization of the wide data paths in the system. According to a third aspect of the invention, one or more stacks are utilized to facilitate packet processing. According to a fourth aspect of the invention, a packet size determiner is allocated to a packet from a pool of packet size determiners, and is returned to the pool upon or after determining the size of the packet.

Abstract: A method and system for a scriptable command line interface is described. A script is written and associated with each command. When an input is received at a command line interface, the input is parsed to identify a command and any associated parameters. The script associated with the command is invoked, and parameters associated with the command are sent to an application to configure the application in accordance with the script. The application is executed and data is generated. The script receives the data from the application and formats the data for output.

Abstract: A control backplane replaces the traditional shared bus with a dedicated communication channel using a high-speed protocol, such as Ethernet. The resulting system may conduct several concurrent control sessions with clients and devices associated with the network switch. Removing the shared bus from the control plane also improves the reliability of the new system, because it is no longer susceptible to a single point of failure.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing routes. A route manager receives a route to a destination, the route having been discovered by a routing protocol application. The route manager maintains the route in a route table and distributes the route to a second routing protocol application. In addition, the route manager maintains a subset of the routes in a second route table and distributes routes to a subsidiary application not having access to the routing protocol applications. The route manager recovers routes when a routing protocol application becomes inoperable by setting a timer when the routing protocol application becomes inoperable and purging routes when the route manager cannot confirm the routes upon expiration of the timer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for automatic protection switching in a ring network by creating a protection domain having a control vlan and protected data vlans and designating a master node and transit nodes connected by a primary port and a secondary port. The master node blocks the secondary port for data vlan traffic until it detects a fault either by notice from a transit node or by polling. When a fault is detected, the master node unblocks the secondary port for data vlan traffic. When the fault is restored, the transit node temporarily blocks the restored port to data vlan traffic thereby preventing a loop. Each time the secondary port is blocked and unblocked, the forwarding databases on all the nodes are flushed.

Abstract: A method is provided to convert network management protocol request into a markup language representation. In one embodiment, the present invention includes receiving a network management protocol request at a network device, generating a plurality of markup language tags and content embedded in the markup language tags based on the received request, and responding to the request using the plurality of markup language tags and content embedded in the markup language tags using a unified backend interface. In one embodiment, routines used to generate the plurality of markup language tags and content are generated automatically using an instrumentation module.

Abstract: A computing environment includes a number of nodes, one of which is a primary node that controls the operation of the computing environment and another of which is a backup node that is capable of controlling operation of the computing environment. The primary node includes a hardware management module (HMM) that controls hardware components in the computing environment. The HMM also detects and reports events relating to the hardware components. The primary node further includes a software management module (SMM) that controls instances of software components of the computing environment, and detects and reports events related to the same. A node management module (NMM) in the primary node elects the node as the primary from among the number of nodes. The NMM receives the reports of events from the HMM and SMM, and selectively transfers operational control of the computing environment to a backup node in response to the reports.

Abstract: A computing system receives a compressed archive file that includes a one or more new executable software modules, and a installation file specifying instructions for installing such modules on the computing system. The modules and the installation file are extracted from the compressed archive file, and the modules installed in accordance with the instructions. Instances of executing software modules that correspond to the installed modules are notified about their impending termination. The instances are then terminated before launching corresponding instances of the installed modules.

Abstract: A layer-2 network switch device forwarding database implementation and method to access the forwarding database. A forwarding database (FDB) is implemented as a tree. A separate VLAN database is also structured as a tree. Each node in the tree represents a separate VLAN. For each VLAN, all associated ports are maintained in a data structure organized as a tree. Likewise, all port information is maintained in a tree-based data structure, and for each port, all VLAN information associated with the port is maintained in a tree data structure. Each node in a VLAN's port tree data structure is linked with each corresponding node in the port's VLAN tree data structure. Each pair of nodes maintains a linked list of all FDB entries relating to the node pair. Operations are quickly and efficiently performed on the FDB using the data structure architecture.

Abstract: A method for forwarding data packets to one of a plurality of servers comprising receiving a data packet from a source, at a data packet forwarding device having a plurality of ports, performing a hashing function using a unique component of the data packet as a seed value for the hash, generating a hash value using the hashing function, looking up a table for an address of one of the plurality of servers using the hashed value as an index to the table, and forwarding the data packet to a server corresponding to the address.

Abstract: A packet processing system architecture and method are provided. According to a first aspect of the invention, a plurality of quality of service indicators are provided for a packet, each with an assigned priority, and a configurable priority resolution scheme is utilized to select one of the quality of service indicators for assigning to the packet. According to a second aspect of the invention, wide data paths are utilized in selected areas of the system, while avoiding universal utilization of the wide data paths in the system. According to a third aspect of the invention, one or more stacks are utilized to facilitate packet processing. According to a fourth aspect of the invention, a packet size determiner is allocated to a packet from a pool of packet size determiners, and is returned to the pool upon or after determining the size of the packet.

Abstract: A method for electing a master router in a virtual router network by obtaining a tracking parameter for each of the routers participating in a virtual router network. A priority value is assigned to each of the plurality of routers based on the tracking parameter and reported to each router at periodic intervals. The router with the highest priority value is elected, or re-elected, as the new master.

Abstract: A packet processing system architecture and method are provided. According to a first aspect of the invention, packet parser functions are distributed throughout a packet processing system comprising a packet classification system and a packet modification system. According to a second aspect of the invention, an egress mirroring function is provided to the system. According to a third aspect of the invention, a multi-dimensional quality of service indicator for a packet is provided. According to a fourth aspect of the invention, a cascaded combination of multiple, replicated packet processing systems is used to process a packet. A fifth aspect of the invention involves any combination of one or more of the foregoing.