Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises: a first network device in a deterministic network identifying first and second slots for transmission of a data packet toward a destination device along a deterministic track of the deterministic network, the first slot reserved for the first network device receiving the data packet from a second network device and the second slot reserved for transmission by the first network device of the data packet toward the destination device along the deterministic track; the first network device detecting, in the first slot, an absence of receiving the data packet from the second network device; and the first network device selectively generating and transmitting in the second slot, in response to the absence of receiving the data packet, a management packet along the deterministic track.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises receiving, by a network device in a deterministic data network, one or more deterministic schedules for reaching a destination network device along one or more deterministic paths in the deterministic data network; generating, by the network device, a deterministic source-route path for reaching the destination network device based on the deterministic schedules allocated for the deterministic paths, the deterministic source-route path comprising, for each specified hop, a corresponding deterministic start time; and outputting, by the network device, a source routed deterministic packet comprising the deterministic source-route path for deterministic forwarding of the source routed deterministic packet to the destination network device.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a device in a network sends a first multicast message to a plurality of destinations in the network. The first multicast message includes a first bitmap that identifies the destinations. The device receives one or more acknowledgements from a subset of the destinations. The device determines a retransmission bitmap that identifies those of the plurality of destinations that did not acknowledge the first multicast message, based on the received one or more acknowledgements. The device sends a retransmission multicast message to those of the plurality of destinations that did not acknowledge the first multicast message. The retransmission multicast message includes the retransmission bitmap.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises promiscuously detecting, by a network device in a wireless data network, a wireless data packet comprising a source route header specifying a hop-by-hop path for reaching a destination device in the wireless data network; determining, by the network device, that the network device is identified in the hop-by-hop path as following a first next-hop device targeted for reception of the wireless data packet; and executing intercepted forwarding of the wireless data packet, by the network device, to a second next-hop device successively following the network device in the hop-by-hop path.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a device in a network performs a first comparison between observed and expected packet error rates for a first path in the network. The device identifies one or more intersecting paths in the network that intersect the first path. The device performs one or more additional comparisons between observed and expected packet error rates for the intersecting paths that intersect the first path. The device identifies a particular node along the first path as a source of packet drops based on the first comparison between the observed and expected packet error rates for the first path and on the one or more additional comparisons between the observed and expected packet error rates for the intersecting paths that intersect the first path.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises: receiving, by a network device in a data network, a wireless data packet containing new data; responding to the wireless data packet, by the network device, by initiating a prescribed randomized collision avoidance method requiring the network device to first wait at least a first half of a prescribed minimum contention interval before attempting transmission at a randomized position within a second half of the prescribed minimum contention interval; selectively retransmitting, by the network device, the wireless data packet based on determining, at the randomized position, that the network device has not received a prescribed number of copies of the wireless data packet; and selectively sending, by the network device to a path computation element in the data network, a message requesting membership in a dominating set in response to transmission of the wireless data packet by the network device.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a supervisory device in a network forms a virtual access point (VAP) for a node in the network. A plurality of access points (APs) in the network are mapped to the VAP as part of a VAP mapping and the node treats the APs in the VAP mapping as a single AP for purposes of communicating with the network. The supervisory device determines a traffic type of traffic associated with the node. The supervisory device assigns the node to a selected wireless channel based in part on the traffic type of the traffic associated with the node. The supervisory device controls the VAP to use the channel assigned to the node.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a supervisory device in a network assigns different access points in the network to different access point groupings. Each of the different access point groupings uses a different network path to communicate with a given endpoint in the network. The supervisory device selects at least one of the access points in each of the different access point groupings for mapping to a virtual access point (VAP) for a node in the network as part of a VAP mapping. The supervisory device instructs the selected access points to form a VAP for the node. The node treats the access points in the VAP mapping as a single access point for purposes of communicating with the network.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a device in a network receives a time-slotted channel hopping (TSCH) communication schedule. The TSCH communication schedule is divided into a plurality of macrocells, each macrocell comprising a plurality of TSCH cells. The device receives a packet from a routing protocol child node of the device during a particular macrocell of the TSCH communication schedule that is associated with propagation of the packet through the network. In response to receiving the packet, the device claims a token associated with the particular macrocell that authorizes the device to transmit during one or more cells of the macrocell. The device transmits the received packet to a second node in the network during the authorized one or more cells of the particular macrocell.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a supervisory device in a network forms a virtual access point (VAP) for a node in the network. A set of access points (APs) in the network are mapped to the VAP as part of a VAP mapping and the node treats the APs in the VAP mapping as a single AP for purposes of communicating with the network. The supervisory device receives measurements from the APs in the VAP mapping regarding communications associated with the node. The supervisory device identifies a movement of the node based on the received measurements from the APs in the VAP mapping. The supervisory device adjusts the set of APs in the VAP mapping based on the identified movement of the node.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a supervisory device in a network receives from a plurality of access points (APs) in the network data regarding a network availability request broadcast by a node seeking to access the network and received by the APs in the plurality. The supervisory device uniquely associates the node with a virtual access point (VAP) for the node and forms a VAP mapping between the VAP for the node and a set of the APs in the plurality selected based on the received data regarding the network availability request. One of the APs in the mapping is designated as a primary access point for the node. The supervisory device instructs the primary AP to send a network availability response to the node that includes information for the VAP. The node uses the information for the VAP to access the network via the set of APs in the VAP mapping.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a supervisory device in a network forms a virtual access point (VAP) for a node in the network whereby a plurality of access points (APs) in the network are mapped to the VAP as part of a VAP mapping. The node treats the APs in the VAP mapping as a single AP for purposes of communicating with the network. The supervisory device determines a data traffic management strategy for the node based on traffic associated with the node. The supervisory device instructs the APs in the VAP mapping to implement the data traffic management strategy for the node.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a splitting device in a computer network transmits to a combining device first and second portions of a data stream via first and second tunnels, respectively, where packets of the data stream indicate a time of transmission of the packets from the splitting device, a first and second transmission rate of the packets on a respective one of the first and second tunnels, and sequencing information of the packets within the data stream. The splitting device receives from the combining device a first and second receive rate of the packets for each of the first and second tunnels, respectively. In response to the first receive rate being less than the first transmission rate, the splitting device reduces the first transmission rate and increases the second transmission rate.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a server instructs one or more networking devices in a local area network (LAN) to form a virtual network overlay in the LAN that redirects traffic associated with a particular node in the LAN to the server. The server receives the redirected traffic associated with the particular node. The server trains a machine learning-based behavioral model for the particular node based on the redirected traffic. The server controls whether a particular redirected traffic flow associated with the node in the LAN is sent to a destination of the traffic flow using the trained behavioral model.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a networking device in a local area network (LAN) establishes a virtual network overlay in the LAN to redirect traffic associated with a particular node in the LAN to a server for analysis. The networking device receives an indication from the server that at least a portion of the traffic associated with the particular node is trusted for local sending within the LAN and adjusts the virtual network overlay to locally send the trusted portion of the traffic associated with the particular node to one or more other nodes in the LAN without redirection to the server. The networking device collects characteristic information regarding the trusted portion of the traffic sent locally within the LAN via the adjusted virtual network overlay and sends the collected characteristic information to the server for analysis.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a networking device in a local area network (LAN) receives an instruction from a server to form a virtual network overlay in the LAN that redirects traffic associated with a particular node in the LAN to the server for analysis. The networking device establishes the virtual network overlay in the LAN to redirect traffic associated with the particular node to the server. The networking device determines that at least a portion of the traffic associated with the particular node should be processed locally within the LAN and not via redirection to the server and adjusts the virtual network overlay to process the at least a portion of the traffic associated with the particular node locally within the LAN and not via redirection to the server.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a device in a network receives data associated with a particular location. The device determines when the device is at the particular location by monitoring a local position of the device relative to the particular location. The device identifies a node in the network as being co-located with the device at the particular location. The device shares the data with the identified node based on the device and the node being co-located at the particular location.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a server instructs one or more networking devices in a local area network (LAN) to form virtual network overlay in the LAN that redirects traffic associated with a particular node in the LAN to the server. The server receives the redirected traffic associated with the particular node. The server determines a node profile for the particular node based in part on an analysis of the redirected traffic. The server configures the particular node based on the determined node profile for the particular node.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a server instructs one or more networking devices in a local area network (LAN) to form a virtual network overlay in the LAN that redirects traffic associated with a particular node in the LAN to the server. The server identifies a configuration for the particular node based on a node profile for the particular node. The server accesses a configuration interface of the particular node and instructs the particular node to use the identified configuration via the accessed configuration interface.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a lower protocol layer in a network device filters packets based on a class and a particular of a destination address prior to sending information from the received packet to a higher protocol layer. For example, certain constrained networks include network nodes that do not have the ability to maintain a multicast distribution entry for each multicast address used in the network. By only forwarding on a portion of a multicast address, packets are often delivered to nodes in addition to the actual multicast subscribers. By filtering these incorrectly delivered packets at a lower protocol layer (e.g., layer-2 or layer-3), processing cycles at higher protocol layers are avoided. Additionally in one embodiment, class and particulars are deterministically determined (e.g., using a same hashing function) such that services can be discovered and used by subscribing to a corresponding multicast group.