Abstract: Techniques for generating and utilizing overlay-based Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) packets to detect issues with an underlay network. The techniques may include receiving, from a BGP peer device via a control plane path, an OAM probe indicating a forwarding path to be used for sending the traffic to a destination associated with a prefix. The techniques may also include determining, based at least in part on the OAM probe, that a next-hop device is incapable of being utilized to forward the traffic to the destination, the next-hop device determined based on an origination of the prefix. The techniques may further include performing a policy-based action based at least in part on determining that the next-hop device is incapable of being utilized to forward the traffic to the destination.

Abstract: A system and associated methods provide procedures for establishing multicast connections and forwarding multicast content from a source to a subscriber when an ingress provider edge in communication with the subscriber is connected to an egress provider edge device belonging to an EVPN instance, especially in cases where the egress provider edge device is not receiving content from the source. The system configures “backup” provider edge devices belonging to the EVPN instance to temporarily forward the multicast content to the egress provider edge device on behalf of the source, enabling the ingress provider edge device and subscriber to continue to receive the multicast content from the source while the multicast network adjusts to recognize a new egress provider edge device. Methods of establishing connections between the ingress provider edge device and the correct egress provider edge device are also provided to avoid flooding and inefficient content forwarding throughout the network.

Abstract: According to one or more embodiments of the disclosure, an example process herein may comprise: causing, responsive to a triggering event, establishment of a service tree that follows a same path as a multicast parent tree through a data communication network to one or more intended recipient devices; causing a duplication of a particular flow from the multicast parent tree to the service tree; causing a determination of a performance characteristic of the particular flow through the service tree; and causing an association of the performance characteristic with the multicast parent tree.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses in which unstructured computer text is analyzed for generation of a structured conversation flow for a conversation service application include a server that extracts a sequence of questions from historical voice call transcripts. The server converts each of the extracted questions into a multidimensional embedding using a sentence transformer. The server clusters the multidimensional embeddings into question clusters using a similarity measure algorithm. Each of the question clusters is assigned a cluster identification label. The server generates, for each historical voice call transcript, a sequence of cluster identification labels corresponding to the sequence of questions. The server creates a conversation flow graph for each historical voice call transcript based upon the associated sequence of cluster identification labels.

Abstract: Devices and methods are provided for exchanging route type capabilities between peer network devices, for example, Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) speakers, to prevent a BGP session reset when a particular route type is not supported by one of the peer network devices. A network device, that supports a set of route types, receives an announcing message indicating a route type capability of a peer network device. The network device selects a subset of route types supported by the peer network device from the set of route types based on the route type capability of the peer network device. The network device transmits an update message that advertises the subset of route types to the peer network device. Thus, a route type supported by the network device is not included in the update message if the route type is not advertised in the announcing message by the peer network device.

Abstract: Devices, networks, systems, methods, and processes for tracking a multi-homed host device are provided herein. A communication network may include at least two network devices and a host device that is multi-homed to the at least two network devices. A network device of the at least two network devices transmits a first tracking request to the host device and receives a tracking response for the first tracking request at a network-side interface of the network device. The first tracking request includes a first data sequence. The network device transmits, based on receiving the tracking response at the network-side interface, one or more second tracking requests with varying second data sequences in an attempt to force a response from the host device at a host-side interface of the network device. Thus, the host device is tracked in an efficient manner without changing a hashing algorithm of the host device.

Abstract: This disclosure pertains to computer-assisted methods, apparatus, and systems for forecasting network performance responsive to network reconfigurations in large scale communication networks.

Abstract: A case assistant is provided to client support professionals, which utilizes robotic process automation (RPA) technologies to analyze large amounts of data related to historical client cases that are similar to current open cases, data related to skilled experts associated with similar client cases, and data related to business exceptions. Several processes are utilized to provide this data to client support professionals, including a document similarity finder that utilizes a vector data collector, a tokenizer, a stop word remover, a relevance finder, and a similarity finder, several of which utilize a variety of machine learning technologies. Additional processes include a skilled experts finder and a business exceptions finder.

Abstract: A system and associated methods provide procedures for establishing multicast connections and forwarding multicast content from a source to a subscriber when an ingress provider edge in communication with the subscriber is connected to an egress provider edge device belonging to an EVPN instance, especially in cases where the egress provider edge device is not receiving content from the source. The system configures “backup” provider edge devices belonging to the EVPN instance to temporarily forward the multicast content to the egress provider edge device on behalf of the source, enabling the ingress provider edge device and subscriber to continue to receive the multicast content from the source while the multicast network adjusts to recognize a new egress provider edge device. Methods of establishing connections between the ingress provider edge device and the correct egress provider edge device are also provided to avoid flooding and inefficient content forwarding throughout the network.

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring a plurality of assets using a plurality of location tags are provided. The plurality of assets includes a conveyor system and at least one other asset. At least a subset of the location tags is positioned at a fixed position along the conveyor system, and at least one location tag is positioned at the at least one other asset. Each location tag includes at least one environmental sensor and a communication interface. The communication interface is configured to transmit a sensor signal to a network system and at least one information signal to a mobile receiver. The mobile receiver moves with respect to the conveyor system such that the distance between the mobile receiver and the subset of the location tags continuously changes, and a position of the mobile receiver is determined based on a signal strength of the information signal.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for faster convergence with multihoming using internet protocol (IP) performance measurement (PM) sessions to report, to a transmitting provider edge (PE), a state of health of a connection between a multihomed node and a receiving (PE). The state of health can be the liveness of the connection. The receiving PE locally monitors the state of health of its connection to the node, and encodes information of the state of health in a field of the PM session messages sent to the transmitting PE. For example, while the PM session messages indicate the connection is live, traffic from the transmitting PE to the node is routed through the receiving PE. Upon the PM session messages indicating the connection is no longer live, the transmitting PE instead routes traffic to the node through another receiving PE with which the node is multihomed.

Abstract: A scan reset control circuit includes a single scan reset input configured to receive a reset signal, a plurality of scan reset outputs configured to be coupled to a plurality of circuit blocks in a one-to-one ratio, a plurality of writable non-scan test data registers including register outputs configured to assert or deassert the reset signal, and a plurality of reset enable circuits coupled to the plurality of scan reset outputs in a one-to-one ratio. Each of the scan reset outputs is configured to simultaneously reset a set of scan flip-flops of the corresponding circuit block. Each of the plurality of reset enable circuits includes an input coupled to the single scan reset input, a selector input coupled to the register outputs, and an output coupled to the corresponding scan reset output.

Abstract: A scan reset control circuit includes a single scan reset input configured to receive a reset signal, a plurality of scan reset outputs configured to be coupled to a plurality of circuit blocks in a one-to-one ratio, a plurality of writable non-scan test data registers including register outputs configured to assert or deassert the reset signal, and a plurality of reset enable circuits coupled to the plurality of scan reset outputs in a one-to-one ratio. Each of the scan reset outputs is configured to simultaneously reset a set of scan flip-flops of the corresponding circuit block. Each of the plurality of reset enable circuits includes an input coupled to the single scan reset input, a selector input coupled to the register outputs, and an output coupled to the corresponding scan reset output.

Abstract: This disclosure pertains to computer-assisted methods, apparatus, and systems for forecasting network performance responsive to network reconfigurations in large scale communication networks.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a device may receive a multicast path trace request for a multicast tree, wherein the device is a mid-node in the multicast tree. The device may perform, based on the device being a mid-node in the multicast tree, an upstream trace of network topology of the multicast tree from the device to a head-node of the multicast tree and a downstream trace of network topology of the multicast tree from the device to at least one tail-node. The device may generate an end-to-end visible topology of the multicast tree based on the upstream trace and the downstream trace. The device may provide the end-to-end visible topology of the multicast tree to an observability manager.

Abstract: In an example method, a head node connected to a source device transmits a multicast data flow from the source device to receiving devices connected to tail nodes using Default MDT. The example method further includes determining that requirements have been met to begin transmitting the multicast data flow using Data MDT. The method may further include determining whether the tail nodes are able to receive the multicast data flow using Data MDT. In response to determining that all the tail nodes are able to receive the multicast data flow using Data MDT, switch to transmitting the multicast data flow to the tail nodes using Data MDT. In response to determining that at least one of the tail nodes is unable to receive the multicast data flow using the Data MDT, continue transmitting the multicast data flow using Data MDT.

Abstract: In some aspects, a computer-implemented method for performance monitoring in a multicast network, includes a controller causing a source router to originate a probe data packet. The controller may also originate, at the source router, the probe data packet, where the probe data packet is a data packet intended to measure performance data associated with one or more legs of a multicast distribution tree. Further, the source router may transmit the probe data packet through the multicast distribution tree using a probe identifier, where when received by a last hop router associated with the one or more legs of the multicast distribution tree, the last hop router redirects the probe data packet to a CPU of the last hop router configured to generate performance statistics. The source router may receive from the last hop router, the performance statistics.

Abstract: In-band network telemetry for multicast is provided by injecting a synthetic telemetry packet into the multicast. Each first node of each branch replicates the synthetic packet and passes on copy to the next branch and sends one copy down the nodes in the branch sequentially. The synthetic telemetry packet can include flags with have values, including, for example, whether each node should hold or send data collected by the node according to the synthetic data packet, how long a node is to hold collected telemetry data, and what data to collect. The node sends a postcard to the originator with the telemetry data according to the instructions in the synthetic telemetry packet.

Abstract: In some aspects, a method for establishing a multicast-only Fast Re-Route (FRR) (MoFRR) path between a source node and a receiving node in a network, the method includes receiving, by a merged receiving node, a plurality of data packets in a data flow comprising an FRR indicator, wherein the merged receiving node is configured to identify an FRR path for data transmission to the source node, extracting, by the merged receiving node, from the FRR indicator, an identification of the source node as a destination of the data transmission, and a first identifier identifying a first data packet as part of a first flow of a MoFRR, and a second identifier identifying a second data packet as part of a second flow of a MoFRR, transmitting, by the receiving node, the first data packet along a primary data path and the second data packet along a secondary data path.

Abstract: This disclosure pertains to computer assisted methods, apparatus, and systems for determining a path that a data packet would have traversed through a communication network at a particular point in time, which may be used, for instance, to determine the sources of connectivity failures in a large scale communication network.