Abstract: A method of generating identifiers associated with a communication network is described. In one approach, a global encoding scheme minimizes header length by encoding identifiers of network interconnects forming a packet network path. The method includes a controller accessing topology information associated with the communication network including identifiers of nodes and identifiers of interconnects between nodes of the communication network, the interconnects having associated parameters. The controller also generates codewords for the identifiers of the interconnects, the size of each codeword being based on a parameter of an associated interconnect. The controller further generates a mapping between the identifiers of the interconnects and the codewords, and stores the mapping into memory. The method supports source routing in a compact format for varied network configurations.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a processor, wherein the processor is configured to to determine a plurality of available wavelengths that are available to transmit data over an optical network comprising a plurality of downstream nodes, select a plurality of encoding wavelengths from the available wavelengths, wherein the encoding wavelengths is a subset of the available wavelengths, and encode the data using the encoding wavelengths, wherein the encoding wavelengths dictate the switching behavior of the downstream nodes when the data is received by the downstream nodes.

Abstract: An alternate path calculation process may be terminated after considering some of a source node's neighbors and without considering each of its neighbors, to reduce the amount of processing required to perform the alternate path calculations. The neighbors may be ranked according to the number of alternate paths that the neighbor has historically been able to provide on the network. The influence of historical success or failure may degrade over time so that the rankings may be adjusted to reflect changes in network topography. A given source node, when computing alternate paths through the network, may preferentially select neighbors to perform alternate path calculations on historically higher scoring nodes before performing calculations on historically lower scoring nodes. Several different criteria may be used to stop the alternate path calculation process before considering all neighbors. The neighbors may be loop free neighbors or U-turn neighbors.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided herein for creating virtual networks with service chains, such as n-tier networks, in the cloud. In an embodiment, a network diagram for a virtual network is received from a user via a graphical user interface. The network diagram comprises elements that represent virtual or physical network components. The network components include switches, routers, firewalls, links, service appliances, virtual machines, servers, or other network components. Upon successfully validating the network diagram, via a validation step, the network diagram is compiled into application programming interface (API) calls ready for execution. The executed APIs are used to establish the virtual network on a physical network infrastructure. The virtual network comprises virtual network components corresponding to the elements or the network diagram.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for securing source routing using public key based digital signature. If a protected source route is tampered with, a public key based method allows a downstream node to detect the tampering. The method is based on using digital signatures to protect the integrity of source routes. When creating a source route for a traffic flow, a designated network component computes a digital signature and adds the digital signature to the packets. When the packets are received at a node on the route, the node uses the digital signature and a public key to verify the source route and determines accordingly whether the source route has been tampered with. If tampering is detected, the receiving node stops the forwarding of the packets.

Abstract: An apparatus including a service network and a plurality of Layer 2 sites connected by the service network via a plurality of gateways is provided. The gateways are configured to map a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of a plurality of hosts under a plurality of virtual local area networks (VLANs) in a plurality of Layer 2 sites to a plurality of addresses (e.g., MAC or others) of the corresponding other gateways, inform the other gateways in other Layer 2 sites of the IP addresses mapped under each of the VLANs in the local Layer 2 sites, and forward data frames originated from the hosts in the local Layer 2 sites to the other gateways in the other Layer 2 sites when destinations of the data frames are residing in the other Layer 2 sites.

Abstract: A method of peer interfacing a Link-State controlled network domain with an Ethernet Bridging controlled network domain. A pair of peer attachment points are provided between the Link-State controlled network domain and the Ethernet Bridging domain. The peer attachment points are respective endpoints of a set of one or more LAN segments defined within the Ethernet Bridging domain. The set of LAN segments are represented as a virtual node in the Link-State controlled network domain. The virtual node is represented in the Link-State controlled network domain as connected to each of the peer attachment points via a respective virtual link. The virtual links are configured such that frames to or from an address in the Link-State controlled network domain are forwarded over a tree passing through only one of the peer attachments points.

Abstract: Efficient and scalable source routed forwarding can be achieved in multi-domain networks by substituting path identifiers for intra-domain hop lists in source route hop lists. The path identifiers are then replaced with the corresponding intra-domain hop lists at the ingress edge nodes of each corresponding domain. The path identifiers do not specify individual hops along an intra-domain path segment, and are therefore typically shorter than the intra-domain hop lists. To facilitate multi-domain source routed forwarding techniques, routing tables in edge nodes of the corresponding domains are updated to associate the path identifiers with the corresponding intra-domain hop lists during (or immediately following) inter-domain path computation.

Abstract: A plurality of network nodes, under the control of a network controller, are configured to perform a method to direct packets in a packet flow from a source to a destination. In one embodiment, the network controller transmits an instruction to a first node in a network instructing the first node to transmit a first packet in the packet flow along a first route from the source to the destination, the first route having a first delay. The network controller also transmits an instruction to a node in the network to transmit a second packet in the packet flow along a second route different from the first route, the second route having a second delay, the second delay having a duration less than a duration of the first delay. The network controller further transmits an instruction to a node in the second route to delay the second packet in order to delay arrival of the second packet at the destination.

Abstract: A method implemented for providing a source of entropy in source routing, the method comprising receiving a source routing packet that comprises an entropy-header, wherein the entropy-header comprises an entropy field and a list of identifiers (IDs), determining a next hop ID from the list of IDs, determining whether the next hop ID identifies a plurality of routes used to reach a next hop node, selecting a first route from the plurality of routes using the entropy field, and transmitting the source routing packet via the first route, wherein the list of IDs indicates the route used to transport the source routing packet from a source to a destination.

Abstract: A weighting process may be used to select between alternate neighbors in a RAPID calculation to enable policy and/or traffic engineering considerations to affect the selection of an alternate path through the network. The information used to weight the neighbors may static administratively assigned weighting information or dynamic weighting information such as local statistical traffic condition information. The process may take into account the amount of traffic being handled by the current primary next hop for the destination, the available capacity of the available alternate neighbors, the ability of the alternate neighbors to handle the additional traffic, and other considerations. Weighting may occur after a set of available loop free alternate neighbors has been determined. Alternatively, weighting may occur before the RAPID calculation has been performed to cause the neighbors to be ordered prior to RAPID processing. This may enable RAPID calculation to stop without considering all available neighbors.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a processor, wherein the processor is configured to split an optical signal into a first optical signal and a second optical signal, wherein the first optical signal comprises a plurality of encoded wavelengths, receive a selection signal, wherein the selection signal selects a plurality of active wavelengths, wherein the active wavelengths are a subset of the encoded wavelengths, compute the routing information for the second optical signal using the active wavelengths, and switch the second optical signal using the routing information.

Abstract: A method for adjusting the egress logical ports within a set of egress logical ports, the method comprising associating a plurality of operand values with a plurality of ingress logical ports and a plurality of egress logical ports, receiving a frame on one of the ingress logical ports, determining a proposed set of the egress logical ports to which to forward the frame, selecting an operator using content within the frame, performing a comparison operation comprising a first operand value, a second operand value, and the operator, modifying the proposed set of egress ports using the comparison operation, and transmitting the frame on the modified set of egress logical ports.

Abstract: Method and systems to detect tampering in a physical article are described herein. A method includes receiving, at a first point in time, at least two response signals from at least one RF tag in a set of RF tags associated with the physical article; forming a first response signature for the physical article based on the received response signals; receiving a second response signal from at least one other RF tag in the set of RF tags associated with the physical article at a second point in time; assessing a relative spacing between the RF tags associated with the physical article has changed from the first point in time to the second point in time; and determining tampering of the physical article as a result of the spacing assessment.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a service network, and a plurality of Layer 2 sites connected by the service network via a plurality of gateways, wherein the gateways are configured to map a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of a plurality of hosts under a plurality of virtual local area networks (VLANs) in a plurality of Layer 2 sites to a plurality of addresses (e.g. MAC or others) of the corresponding gateways inform the other gateways in the other Layer 2 sites of the mapped IP addresses under each of the VLANs in the local Layer 2 sites, and forward data frames originated from the hosts in the local Layer 2 sites to the other gateways in the other Layer 2 sites when the data frames' destinations are residing in the other Layer 2 sites.

Abstract: Forwarding state is installed for sparse multicast trees in a link state protocol controlled Ethernet network by enabling intermediate nodes to install state for one or more physical multicast trees, each of which may have multiple logical multicast trees mapped to it. By mapping multiple logical multicasts to a particular physical multicast, and installing state for the physical multicast, fewer FIB entries are required to implement the multiple multicasts. Mapping may be performed by destination nodes before advertising membership in the physical multicast, or may be performed by the intermediate nodes before installing state when a destination node advertises membership in a logical multicast. Intermediate nodes will install state for the physical multicast tree if they are on a shortest path between a source and at least one destination of one of the logical multicasts that has been mapped to the physical multicast.

Abstract: Link identifiers such as VIDs, selected from a defined range of values, are locally assigned by each node on a link state protocol controlled Ethernet network to each of its links or adjacencies. The link identifiers are assigned by the nodes such that each link or adjacency at the node is uniquely identified by a different link identifier. A link state protocol adjacency notification mechanism or other flooding mechanism is used to disseminate the locally assigned link identifiers to other nodes on the link state protocol controlled Ethernet network. The link identifiers are added by the nodes to their topology databases to enable detour routes to be locally calculated by the nodes on the network in a distributed manner. Upon occurrence of a failure, the link identifiers are used to source route traffic around the failure so that traffic may continue to traverse the link state protocol controlled Ethernet network.

Abstract: The invention relates to enabling differential forwarding in address-based carrier networks such as Ethernet networks. There is described a method of and connection controller for establishing connections (76, 77) in a frame-based communications network comprising nodes (71-75 and 78) such as Ethernet switches. The connections are established by configuring, in various of the nodes, mappings for forwarding data frames, such as Ethernet frames. The mappings are from a combination of a) a destination (or source) address corresponding to a destination (or source) node (73) of the connection and b) an identifier, such as a VLAN tag. The mappings are to selected output ports of the various nodes. By using the combination of destination (or source) address AND identifier, the mappings enable data frames belonging to different connections (76, 77) to be forwarded differentially (ie forwarded on different output ports) at a node (75) despite the different connections having the same destination node.

Abstract: XML appliances/routers may be organized to implement one or more XML distribution rings to enable XML documents/messages to be distributed efficiently. The rings may be logical or physical. The XML distribution rings enable the XML documents/messages to be exchanged without requiring the XML appliances/routers to run a routing protocol to determine how XML documents/messages should be distributed through the network. Documents may be transmitted in one way on the ring or may be transmitted in both directions around the ring to enable the ring to tolerate failure of an XML appliance/router. Each XML appliance/router will receive all XML documents/messages and will make routing decisions for those clients that have provided the XML appliance/router with XML subscriptions. The subscriptions may be formed according to the XPath standard or in another manner.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system for accelerating a packet stream includes a first accelerator configured to re-clock the packet stream from a first clock rate to a second clock rate to produce an accelerated packet stream, where the first clock rate is less than the second clock rate, where the packet stream has a first inter-packet gap, where the accelerated packet stream has a second inter-packet gap, and where the second inter-packet gap is greater than the first inter-packet gap. The system also includes a switch coupled to the first accelerator, where the switch is configured to switch the accelerated packet stream at the second clock rate to produce a switched packet stream.