Abstract: A mesh network, operating as a virtual Ethernet switch, includes multiple nodes operating as Mesh Network Gateway Interfaces (mesh NGIs) enabled for communication with one or more shared access networks. Selectively coupling the multiple NGIs to the same shared access network provides redundancy and load balancing aimed at improving the reliability and performance of the network. A first architecture is based on a gateway group, including a plurality of NGIs enabled to communicate with a single shared access network via a designated broadcast server elected from among the NGIs. A second architecture is based on a plurality of (physical) NGIs enabled to communicate with a single shared access network via one or more designated nodes in the shared access network. The designated nodes, or Mesh Servers (MSs), operate as virtual NGIs, and traffic entering or exiting the mesh flows through one of the MSs, thus improving packet broadcast efficiency.

Abstract: Various embodiments implement a set of low overhead mechanisms to enable on-demand routing protocols. The on-demand protocols use route accumulation during discovery floods to discover when better paths have become available even if the paths that the protocols are currently using are not broken. In other words, the mechanisms (or “Route Optimizations”) enable improvements to routes even while functioning routes are available. The Route Optimization mechanisms enable nodes in the network that passively learn routing information to notify nodes that need to know of changes in the routing information when the changes are important. Learning routing information on up-to-date paths and determining nodes that would benefit from the information is performed, in some embodiments, without any explicit control packet exchange. One of the Route Optimization mechanisms includes communicating information describing an improved route from a node where the improved route diverges from a less nearly optimal route.

Abstract: A mesh network, operating as a virtual Ethernet switch, includes multiple nodes operating as Mesh Network Gateway Interfaces (mesh NGIs) enabled for communication with one or more shared access networks. Selectively coupling the multiple NGIs to the same shared access network provides redundancy and load balancing aimed at improving the reliability and performance of the network. A first architecture is based on a gateway group, including a plurality of NGIs enabled to communicate with a single shared access network via a designated broadcast server elected from among the NGIs. A second architecture is based on a plurality of (physical) NGIs enabled to communicate with a single shared access network via one or more designated nodes in the shared access network. The designated nodes, or Mesh Servers (MSs), operate as virtual NGIs, and traffic entering or exiting the mesh flows through one of the MSs, thus improving packet broadcast efficiency.

Abstract: Various embodiments implement a set of low overhead mechanisms to enable on-demand routing protocols. The on-demand protocols use route accumulation during discovery floods to discover when better paths have become available even if the paths that the protocols are currently using are not broken. In other words, the mechanisms (or “Route Optimizations”) enable improvements to routes even while functioning routes are available. The Route Optimization mechanisms enable nodes in the network that passively learn routing information to notify nodes that need to know of changes in the routing information when the changes are important. Learning routing information on up-to-date paths and determining nodes that would benefit from the information is performed, in some embodiments, without any explicit control packet exchange. One of the Route Optimization mechanisms includes communicating information describing an improved route from a node where the improved route diverges from a less nearly optimal route.

Abstract: Various embodiments implement a set of low overhead mechanisms to enable on-demand routing protocols. The on-demand protocols use route accumulation during discovery floods to discover when better paths have become available even if the paths that the protocols are currently using are not broken. In other words, the mechanisms (or “Route Optimizations”) enable improvements to routes even while functioning routes are available. The Route Optimization mechanisms enable nodes in the network that passively learn routing information to notify nodes that need to know of changes in the routing information when the changes are important. Learning routing information on up-to-date paths and determining nodes that would benefit from the information is performed, in some embodiments, without any explicit control packet exchange. One of the Route Optimization mechanisms includes communicating information describing an improved route from a node where the improved route diverges from a less nearly optimal route.

Abstract: A mesh network, operating as a virtual Ethernet switch, includes multiple nodes operating as Mesh Network Gateway Interfaces (mesh NGIs) enabled for communication with one or more shared access networks. Selectively coupling the multiple NGIs to the same shared access network provides redundancy and load balancing aimed at improving the reliability and performance of the network. A first architecture is based on a gateway group, including a plurality of NGIs enabled to communicate with a single shared access network via a designated broadcast server elected from among the NGIs. A second architecture is based on a plurality of (physical) NGIs enabled to communicate with a single shared access network via one or more designated nodes in the shared access network. The designated nodes, or Mesh Servers (MSs), operate as virtual NGIs, and traffic entering or exiting the mesh flows through one of the MSs, thus improving packet broadcast efficiency.

Abstract: Various embodiments implement a set of low overhead mechanisms to enable on-demand routing protocols. The on-demand protocols use route accumulation during discovery floods to discover when better paths have become available even if the paths that the protocols are currently using are not broken. In other words, the mechanisms (or “Route Optimizations”) enable improvements to routes even while functioning routes are available. The Route Optimization mechanisms enable nodes in the network that passively learn routing information to notify nodes that need to know of changes in the routing information when the changes are important. Learning routing information on up-to-date paths and determining nodes that would benefit from the information is performed, in some embodiments, without any explicit control packet exchange. One of the Route Optimization mechanisms includes communicating information describing an improved route from a node where the improved route diverges from a less nearly optimal route.

Abstract: Various embodiments implement a set of low overhead mechanisms to enable on-demand routing protocols. The on-demand protocols use route accumulation during discovery floods to discover when better paths have become available even if the paths that the protocols are currently using are not broken. In other words, the mechanisms (or “Route Optimizations”) enable improvements to routes even while functioning routes are available. The Route Optimization mechanisms enable nodes in the network that passively learn routing information to notify nodes that need to know of changes in the routing information when the changes are important. Learning routing information on up-to-date paths and determining nodes that would benefit from the information is performed, in some embodiments, without any explicit control packet exchange. One of the Route Optimization mechanisms includes communicating information describing an improved route from a node where the improved route diverges from a less nearly optimal route.

Abstract: A mesh network, operating as a virtual Ethernet switch, includes multiple nodes operating as Mesh Network Gateway Interfaces (mesh NGIs) enabled for communication with one or more shared access networks. Selectively coupling the multiple NGIs to the same shared access network provides redundancy and load balancing aimed at improving the reliability and performance of the network. A first architecture is based on a gateway group, including a plurality of NGIs enabled to communicate with a single shared access network via a designated broadcast server elected from among the NGIs. A second architecture is based on a plurality of (physical) NGIs enabled to communicate with a single shared access network via one or more designated nodes in the shared access network. The designated nodes, or Mesh Servers (MSs), operate as virtual NGIs, and traffic entering or exiting the mesh flows through one of the MSs, thus improving packet broadcast efficiency.

Abstract: Various embodiments implement a set of low overhead mechanisms to enable on-demand routing protocols. The on-demand protocols use route accumulation during discovery floods to discover when better paths have become available even if the paths that the protocols are currently using are not broken. In other words, the mechanisms (or “Route Optimizations”) enable improvements to routes even while functioning routes are available. The Route Optimization mechanisms enable nodes in the network that passively learn routing information to notify nodes that need to know of changes in the routing information when the changes are important. Learning routing information on up-to-date paths and determining nodes that would benefit from the information is performed, in some embodiments, without any explicit control packet exchange. One of the Route Optimization mechanisms includes communicating information describing an improved route from a node where the improved route diverges from a less nearly optimal route.

Abstract: Various embodiments implement a set of low overhead mechanisms to enable on-demand routing protocols. The on-demand protocols use route accumulation during discovery floods to discover when better paths have become available even if the paths that the protocols are currently using are not broken. In other words, the mechanisms (or “Route Optimizations”) enable improvements to routes even while functioning routes are available. The Route Optimization mechanisms enable nodes in the network that passively learn routing information to notify nodes that need to know of changes in the routing information when the changes are important. Learning routing information on up-to-date paths and determining nodes that would benefit from the information is performed, in some embodiments, without any explicit control packet exchange. One of the Route Optimization mechanisms includes communicating information describing an improved route from a node where the improved route diverges from a less nearly optimal route.

Abstract: A mesh network, operating as a virtual Ethernet switch, includes multiple nodes operating as Mesh Network Gateway Interfaces (mesh NGIs) enabled for communication with one or more shared access networks. Selectively coupling the multiple NGIs to the same shared access network provides redundancy and load balancing aimed at improving the reliability and performance of the network. A first architecture is based on a gateway group, including a plurality of NGIs enabled to communicate with a single shared access network via a designated broadcast server elected from among the NGIs. A second architecture is based on a plurality of (physical) NGIs enabled to communicate with a single shared access network via one or more designated nodes in the shared access network. The designated nodes, or Mesh Servers (MSs), operate as virtual NGIs, and traffic entering or exiting the mesh flows through one of the MSs, thus improving packet broadcast efficiency.

Abstract: A scalable computer system has an interconnect bus providing communication links among a host processor and one or more function-specific processors, including a network processor (NP) and a file storage processor (FSP). The host processor provides a single interface to network administrators for maintaining the system. A bi-endian conversion system is provided to minimize a need for translating between big and little endian data types generated by diverse processors. The NP shares a single memory image with other processors and has a buffer memory for buffering requests from the network interfaces. The buffer memory has one or more segments which are dynamically allocatable to different processors. The FSP has a metadata cache for maintaining information on data being cached in the NP buffer memory. The FSP also has a write cache for buffering file write operations directed at disks.