Abstract: Multicast systems and methods for Segment Routing include receiving, at a node, a multicast packet including an outer label comprising a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) source node identifier defining a source-rooted broadcast tree and an inner label including a service identifier defining a service specific multicast tree; responsive to the node including a branch point on the source-rooted broadcast tree, popping the outer label, analyzing the inner label to identify active egress ports, pushing back the outer label, and forwarding the multicast packet to the active egress ports; and responsive to the node including point-to-point transit for the source-rooted broadcast tree, forwarding the multicast packet on the source-rooted broadcast tree.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are directed to implementing a router Media Access Control (MAC) Ethernet switch in a network. An Ethernet-over-Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) packet switch system includes a transport switching element communicatively coupled to one or more routers in a client layer and communicatively coupled via a photonic switching layer with a plurality of transport switching elements forming a transport layer; wherein the transport switching element is configured to flood addresses, in the transport layer, associated with the one or more routers to disseminate learned end-point addresses of the one or more routers so that service-based addressing is resolved by the transport layer. The addresses from the client layer are flooded in the control plane which is a lower layer control plane relative to the client layer to allow the transport switching element and the plurality of transport switching elements to use of the addresses.

Abstract: A method for validation of a packet transport network includes performing a header space analysis, with input headers to obtain output headers from the header space analysis, between one or more ingress points and a particular egress point; determining disjointness of the output headers; and determining validity of a point-to-point connection property of the packet transport network based on the disjointness of the output headers. The header space analysis allows near-real-time validation that packet transport flows in an Multiprotocol Label Switching-Transport Profile (MPLS-TP) network have been correctly programmed on the switches by a Software Defined Networking (SDN) controller or other technique such that the correct label mappings have been made to carry a flow from a source to a destination, and all flows from any source to a destination are isolated from one another.

Abstract: Multicast systems and methods for Segment Routing include receiving, at a node, a multicast packet including an outer label comprising a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) source node identifier defining a source-rooted broadcast tree and an inner label including a service identifier defining a service specific multicast tree; responsive to the node including a branch point on the source-rooted broadcast tree, popping the outer label, analyzing the inner label to identify active egress ports, pushing back the outer label, and forwarding the multicast packet to the active egress ports; and responsive to the node including point-to-point transit for the source-rooted broadcast tree, forwarding the multicast packet on the source-rooted broadcast tree.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for diverting traffic in a communications network are disclosed. According to one aspect, the invention provides a communications network with a first node and a second node. Connecting these two nodes is a first set of intermediate nodes on a first path (the true shortest path) and a second set of intermediate nodes on a second alternate path. At a first node, a first processor determines whether a packet arriving at the first node must transit the second node. If so, the base virtual local area network (VLAN) identifier (VID) of the packet is replaced by a first VID, and the packet is transmitted along the second path through the second set of intermediate nodes to the second node. At the second node, a second processor determines whether a packet arriving at the second node must transit the first node.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are directed to implementing a router Media Access Control (MAC) Ethernet switch in a network. An Ethernet-over-Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) packet switch system includes a transport switching element communicatively coupled to one or more routers in a client layer and communicatively coupled via a photonic switching layer with a plurality of transport switching elements forming a transport layer; wherein the transport switching element is configured to flood addresses, in the transport layer, associated with the one or more routers to disseminate learned end-point addresses of the one or more routers so that service-based addressing is resolved by the transport layer.

Abstract: A source Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) network element, a destination MPLS network element, and a MPLS method are disclosed which introduce the concept of a source label into the MPLS label stack for source identification preservation. The source label can located at the bottom of the label stack thereby being a last item popped in the MPLS stack at the destination node, or indicated subsequent to an explicit reserved label identifier. The source label is used for maintaining Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) data efficiently without requiring deep packet inspection.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are directed to implementing a router Media Access Control (MAC) Ethernet switch in a network. An embodiment receives, from a first Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) router, at least one data packet with a router MAC address identifying a second MPLS router; automatically learns the router MAC address identifying the second MPLS router; accesses information to determine the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the second MPLS router based on the learned router MAC address; and transmits the at least one data packet to the second MPLS router.

Abstract: A method for validation of a packet transport network includes performing a header space analysis, with input headers to obtain output headers from the header space analysis, between one or more ingress points and a particular egress point; determining disjointness of the output headers; and determining validity of a point-to-point connection property of the packet transport network based on the disjointness of the output headers. The header space analysis allows near-real-time validation that packet transport flows in an Multiprotocol Label Switching-Transport Profile (MPLS-TP) network have been correctly programmed on the switches by a Software Defined Networking (SDN) controller or other technique such that the correct label mappings have been made to carry a flow from a source to a destination, and all flows from any source to a destination are isolated from one another.

Abstract: A source Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) network element, a destination MPLS network element, and a MPLS method are disclosed which introduce the concept of a source label into the MPLS label stack for source identification preservation. The source label can located at the bottom of the label stack thereby being a last item popped in the MPLS stack at the destination node, or indicated subsequent to an explicit reserved label identifier. The source label is used for maintaining Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) data efficiently without requiring deep packet inspection.

Abstract: Network protection between endpoints includes both end-to-end and local section protection. A primary path between the endpoints includes a plurality of links, and is protected on an end-to-end basis by a protection path associated with different links. At least one sections of the primary path is also protected on a local basis, where a “section” is a link, ring, trunk or other portion of a network. One or more sections of the protection path may also be protected on a local basis. In response to detection of a fault condition, section protection is utilized to overcome the fault if possible, and otherwise end-to-end protection is utilized. Invoking section protection does not imply a switchover from the primary end-to-end path to the protection end-to-end path. Rather, the primary end-to-end path is rerouted in the affected section.

Abstract: A Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) method, a MPLS network element, and a MPLS network include receiving a packet destined for a destination node at a source node in an MPLS network; pushing an identifier in an MPLS label on an MPLS label stack associated with the packet, wherein the identifier denotes the source node as the source of the packet and is pushed prior to any other MPLS labels on the MPLS stack; pushing one or more labels on the MPLS stack indicative of a route of the packet to the destination node; and transmitting the packet from the source node into the MPLS network. The identifier is located at the bottom of the MPLS stack thereby being a last item popped in the MPLS stack at the destination node, and the identifier can be used for updating OAM data efficiently without requiring deep packet inspection.

Abstract: An Ethernet network, an Ethernet method, and an Ethernet node provide active-active dual-homed interworking between two Ethernet networks. The network, method, and node can include two nodes interconnected each to a Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) network and an Ethernet Virtual Private Network (E-VPN). The two nodes can utilize a same Ethernet Segment Identifier (ESI) for the E-VPN network to cause the dual-homed links to appear as a single link from an E-VPN perspective and a dummy node to advertise an extra node in the SPB network enabling two paths therein.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are directed to implementing a router Media Access Control (MAC) Ethernet switch in a network. An embodiment receives, from a first Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) router, at least one data packet with a router MAC address identifying a second MPLS router; automatically learns the router MAC address identifying the second MPLS router; accesses information to determine the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the second MPLS router based on the learned router MAC address; and transmits the at least one data packet to the second MPLS router.

Abstract: A Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) method, a MPLS network element, and a MPLS network include receiving a packet destined for a destination node at a source node in an MPLS network; pushing an identifier in an MPLS label on an MPLS label stack associated with the packet, wherein the identifier denotes the source node as the source of the packet and is pushed prior to any other MPLS labels on the MPLS stack; pushing one or more labels on the MPLS stack indicative of a route of the packet to the destination node; and transmitting the packet from the source node into the MPLS network. The identifier is located at the bottom of the MPLS stack thereby being a last item popped in the MPLS stack at the destination node, and the identifier can be used for updating OAM data efficiently without requiring deep packet inspection.

Abstract: A reduced complexity Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) method, a MPLS network element, and a MPLS network utilize an MPLS operating regime whereby disjoint sets of one or more MPLS labels are uniquely and specifically associated with just one switch, i.e. each switch node is assigned one or more non-overlapping labels from the RFC 3032 20 bit label space to bind to particular service end-points; which then enables these labels to embody the core properties of a destination address (DA) in the network sub-domain in which they are used. The central property is that these DA labels are constant for a given forwarding path across the entire sub-domain, remaining unchanged at any point in the network. Once that is achieved, any and all hop-by-hop signaling protocols are unnecessary, since there is no need for label swapping, and the label-switching-node binding information can be flooded by interior routing protocols only.

Abstract: An Ethernet network, an Ethernet method, and an Ethernet node provide active-active dual-homed interworking between two Ethernet networks. The network, method, and node can include two nodes interconnected each to a Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) network and an Ethernet Virtual Private Network (E-VPN). The two nodes can utilize a same Ethernet Segment Identifier (ESI) for the E-VPN network to cause the dual-homed links to appear as a single link from an E-VPN perspective and a dummy node to advertise an extra node in the SPB network enabling two paths therein.

Abstract: A method ensures that multicast packets follow the same loop-free path followed by unicast packets in a packet communication network. The communication network includes at least one first area interconnected through at least one area border node (“ABN”) to a second area. Each ABN has a first level port connected to each first area and a second level port connected to the second area. Each multicast packet forwarded includes a header having a root-id identifying a root of a multicast tree. A data packet is received at an ABN. Responsive to receiving a multicast packet at a second level port of an area border node, the root-id of the multicast packet is examined and if the multicast packet is to be forwarded over at least one of the first level ports, a different root-id is substituted into the packet before the packet is forwarded over the first level port.

Abstract: A method ensures that multicast packets follow the same loop-free path followed by unicast packets in a packet communication network. The communication network includes at least one first area interconnected through at least one area border node (“ABN”) to a second area. Each ABN has a first level port connected to each first area and a second level port connected to the second area. Each multicast packet forwarded includes a header having a root-id identifying a root of a multicast tree. A data packet is received at an ABN. Responsive to receiving a multicast packet at a second level port of an area border node, the root-id of the multicast packet is examined and if the multicast packet is to be forwarded over at least one of the first level ports, a different root-id is substituted into the packet before the packet is forwarded over the first level port.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for diverting traffic in a communications network are disclosed. According to one aspect, the invention provides a communications network with a first node and a second node. Connecting these two nodes is a first set of intermediate nodes on a first path (the true shortest path) and a second set of intermediate nodes on a second alternate path. At a first node, a first processor determines whether a packet arriving at the first node must transit the second node. If so, the base virtual local area network (VLAN) identifier (VID) of the packet is replaced by a first VID, and the packet is transmitted along the second path through the second set of intermediate nodes to the second node. At the second node, a second processor determines whether a packet arriving at the second node must transit the first node.