Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method may include detecting existence of an alarm-triggering event associated with a service at a maintenance level. The method may also include analyzing one or more parameters associated with carrier traffic for the service. The method may additionally include determining whether a data path for carrier traffic associated with the service is operational based on the analysis of the one or more parameters. The method may further include masking or downgrading an alarm triggered by the alarm-triggering event in response to a determination that the data path is operational.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method may include detecting existence of an alarm-triggering event associated with a service at a maintenance level. The method may also include analyzing one or more parameters associated with carrier traffic for the service. The method may additionally include determining whether a data path for carrier traffic associated with the service is operational based on the analysis of the one or more parameters. The method may further include masking or downgrading an alarm triggered by the alarm-triggering event in response to a determination that the data path is operational.

Abstract: A method and system for providing an internal topology of a node within a network includes determining asymmetric connections between traffic bearing components in a network node. An intranode connectivity is determined between the traffic bearing components based on the asymmetric connections. A model of the node indicative of the intranode connectivity is distributed to a disparate node in a network with a node. The model is used at a disparate node in determining a routing path through the network.

Abstract: A transport network includes a flexible topology for internally defining transport elements. The transport elements each include a port group having a plurality of geographically distributed ports from the transport network. Point-to-multipoint connectivity is defined between the ports in a port group. An identifier represents the port group as a single element to internal and/or external elements for protocol exchanges.

Abstract: Provided are a system and method for time-based scheduling in a communications environment. In one example, the method includes assigning at least one token to each of multiple active queues during a predefined period of time. Each token authorizes an amount of data to be dequeued from the queue. The method also includes waiting until the end of the predefined period of time before starting a new round of assigning. At least one of the queues is nominated based on the token assigned to the queue, where the nomination authorizes the dequeuing of the amount of data from the queue. The nomination is sent to a memory system to dequeue the data and send the data to a network uplink.

Abstract: Provided are a system and method for transferring management channel information (inband or using path overhead) over a synchronous optical network (SONET). In one example using inband management information, the method includes encapsulating management information in an internet protocol (IP) packet and encapsulating the IP packet in an Ethernet frame. The Ethernet frame is tagged with a management tag to differentiate the frame from the data traffic sent via the network.

Abstract: Provided are a system and method for time-based scheduling in a communications environment. In one example, the method includes assigning at least one token to each of multiple active queues during a predefined period of time. Each token authorizes an amount of data to be dequeued from the queue. The method also includes waiting until the end of the predefined period of time before starting a new round of assigning. At least one of the queues is nominated based on the token assigned to the queue, where the nomination authorizes the dequeuing of the amount of data from the queue. The nomination is sent to a memory system to dequeue the data and send the data to a network uplink.

Abstract: A method and system for providing an internal topology of a node within a network includes determining asymmetric connections between traffic bearing components in a network node. An intranode connectivity is determined between the traffic bearing components based on the asymmetric connections. A model of the node indicative of the intranode connectivity is distributed to a disparate node in a network with a node. The model is used at a disparate node in determining a routing path through the network.