Abstract: A management device for a low power wide area network can: generate and send, to each constrained wireless network device via a wired gateway, a link layer multicast listener command specifying a listening interval and causing each constrained wireless network device to change from a low-power optimized mode to a listening mode until reception of a multicast data packet within the listening interval; generate collision avoidance parameters including a minimum waiting interval, a maximum waiting interval relative to the listening interval, and a redundancy constant; and instruct the wired gateways to selectively transmit the multicast data packet based on the collision avoidance parameters, wherein each wired gateway responds by waiting a randomly-selected wait interval between the minimum and maximum waiting intervals, and selectively transmitting the multicast data packet only if a received number of the multicast data packet by the corresponding wired gateway is less than the redundancy constant.

Abstract: A method is described and in one embodiment includes identifying at an initiator element a list of Internet protocol (“IP”) prefixes corresponding to routes designated as interesting routes, wherein the IP prefixes are included in a Routing Information Base (“RIB”) of the initiator; monitoring the RIB for a change in the list of IP prefixes; and, responsive to detection of a change in the list of IP prefixes, injecting at least a portion of the changed list of IP prefixes into a payload of an IKEv2 NOTIFY message and sending the IKEv2 NOTIFY message to a responder element peered with the initiator element, wherein the responder element updates an RIB of the responder element using the IP prefixes included in the received IKEv2 NOTIFY message.

Abstract: A management device for a low power wide area network can: generate and send, to each constrained wireless network device via a wired gateway, a link layer multicast listener command specifying a listening interval and causing each constrained wireless network device to change from a low-power optimized mode to a listening mode until reception of a multicast data packet within the listening interval; generate collision avoidance parameters including a minimum waiting interval, a maximum waiting interval relative to the listening interval, and a redundancy constant; and instruct the wired gateways to selectively transmit the multicast data packet based on the collision avoidance parameters, wherein each wired gateway responds by waiting a randomly-selected wait interval between the minimum and maximum waiting intervals, and selectively transmitting the multicast data packet only if a received number of the multicast data packet by the corresponding wired gateway is less than the redundancy constant.

Abstract: A management device for a low power wide area network can: generate and send, to each constrained wireless network device via a wired gateway, a link layer multicast listener command specifying a listening interval and causing each constrained wireless network device to change from a low-power optimized mode to a listening mode until reception of a multicast data packet within the listening interval; generate collision avoidance parameters including a minimum waiting interval, a maximum waiting interval relative to the listening interval, and a redundancy constant; and instruct the wired gateways to selectively transmit the multicast data packet based on the collision avoidance parameters, wherein each wired gateway responds by waiting a randomly-selected wait interval between the minimum and maximum waiting intervals, and selectively transmitting the multicast data packet only if a received number of the multicast data packet by the corresponding wired gateway is less than the redundancy constant.

Abstract: A management device for a low power wide area network can: generate and send, to each constrained wireless network device via a wired gateway, a link layer multicast listener command specifying a listening interval and causing each constrained wireless network device to change from a low-power optimized mode to a listening mode until reception of a multicast data packet within the listening interval; generate collision avoidance parameters including a minimum waiting interval, a maximum waiting interval relative to the listening interval, and a redundancy constant; and instruct the wired gateways to selectively transmit the multicast data packet based on the collision avoidance parameters, wherein each wired gateway responds by waiting a randomly-selected wait interval between the minimum and maximum waiting intervals, and selectively transmitting the multicast data packet only if a received number of the multicast data packet by the corresponding wired gateway is less than the redundancy constant.

Abstract: A method is described and in one embodiment includes identifying at an initiator element a list of Internet protocol (“IP”) prefixes corresponding to routes designated as interesting routes, wherein the IP prefixes are included in a Routing Information Base (“RIB”) of the initiator; monitoring the RIB for a change in the list of IP prefixes; and, responsive to detection of a change in the list of IP prefixes, injecting at least a portion of the changed list of IP prefixes into a payload of an IKEv2 NOTIFY message and sending the IKEv2 NOTIFY message to a responder element peered with the initiator element, wherein the responder element updates an RIB of the responder element using the IP prefixes included in the received IKEv2 NOTIFY message.

Abstract: Techniques are providing for managing and optimizing the configuration of network devices. At a management device in a network, a message is received from a first network device via a wireless link or a power line communication link between the management device and the first network device. The new network device is classified as belonging to one of a plurality of network device zones based on evaluating the message. A response message is then sent to the new network device via the wireless link or the power line communication link to ensure secure access to a virtual console-port is provided for the management device and the network devices in the network device zones.

Abstract: Apparatus, methods and computer programs enable carrying service insertion architecture data plane packets in IPv4 or IPv6 networks by packaging destination addresses using IPv6 mechanisms. For example, a data processing apparatus is configured for receiving, from a service broker, a service label and an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) address of a first service node; receiving an IPv4 packet requesting a service associated with the first service node; creating an IPv6 packet comprising a service label in a Flow Label field of the IPv6 packet, the IPv6 address of the first service node in a destination address field of the IPv6 packet, and the IPv4 packet in a payload field of the IPv6 packet; forwarding the IPv6 packet to the first service node. Approaches allow service insertion architecture support for all-IPv6 traffic including tunneled and non-tunneled techniques for environments in which user applications place data in the flow label field.

Abstract: Techniques are providing for managing and optimizing the configuration of network devices. At a management device in a network, a message is received from a first network device via a wireless link or a power line communication link between the management device and the first network device. The new network device is classified as belonging to one of a plurality of network device zones based on evaluating the message. A response message is then sent to the new network device via the wireless link or the power line communication link to ensure secure access to a virtual console-port is provided for the management device and the network devices in the network device zones.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, by an access router, an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) packet that specifies a request for executing a preemptive service for data packets specifying a prescribed flow label field value identified in the request. The method further includes attempting authentication of the request by the access router based on a prescribed secure authentication protocol. The method further includes implementing the preemptive service by the access router based on the authentication of the request, including passing any IPv6 data packet received from a host node and having an IPv6 header specifying the prescribed flow label field value and satisfying a prescribed security condition, and limiting transfer of any data packet that does not specify the prescribed flow label field value or satisfy the prescribed security condition.

Abstract: A router is configured for dynamically applying an address prefix value, during execution of a router command, based on retrieving the address prefix value for an address prefix identifier specified in the router command. For example, the router may generate au IP address, for use in executing a router command, based on detecting an address prefix identifier specified in the router command, retrieving a prefix value for the address prefix identifier, and adding the prefix value to an address suffix specified in the router command. Hence, the address prefix identifier in the router command enables global reconfiguration and renumbering of all commands specifying the address prefix identifier, merely by changing the prefix value associated with the address prefix identifier.

Abstract: Apparatus, methods and computer programs enable carrying service insertion architecture data plane packets in IPv4 or IPv6 networks by packaging destination addresses using IPv6 mechanisms. For example, a data processing apparatus is configured for receiving, from a service broker, a service label and an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) address of a first service node; receiving an IPv4 packet requesting a service associated with the first service node; creating an IPv6 packet comprising a service label in a Flow Label field of the IPv6 packet, the IPv6 address of the first service node in a destination address field of the IPv6 packet, and the IPv4 packet in a payload field of the IPv6 packet; forwarding the IPv6 packet to the first service node. Approaches allow service insertion architecture support for all-IPv6 traffic including tunneled and non-tunneled techniques for environments in which user applications place data in the flow label field.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, by an access router, an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) packet that specifies a request for executing a preemptive service for data packets specifying a prescribed flow label field value identified in the request. The method further includes attempting authentication of the request by the access router based on a prescribed secure authentication protocol. The method further includes implementing the preemptive service by the access router based on the authentication of the request, including passing any IPv6 data packet received from a host node and having an IPv6 header specifying the prescribed flow label field value and satisfying a prescribed security condition, and limiting transfer of any data packet that does not specify the prescribed flow label field value or satisfy the prescribed security condition.