Abstract: A system, method, apparatus and mechanisms for detecting traps triggered by Label Switch Path (LSP) interface events, determining the corresponding event characteristics, associating the detected traps with a bitmap marker indicative of their respective event characteristics, and bundling together bitmaps having common markers to provide thereby respective bundles of common logger events adapted for bulk transmission to a management system.

Abstract: A system, method, apparatus and mechanisms for detecting traps triggered by Label Switch Path (LSP) interface events, determining the corresponding event characteristics, associating the detected traps with a bitmap marker indicative of their respective event characteristics, and bundling together bitmaps having common markers to provide thereby respective bundles of common logger events adapted for bulk transmission to a management system.

Abstract: A capability is provided for switching between primary and standby multicast trees on a network egress node of a multicast network. The network egress node includes a first MPLS LABEL Record including a first tree identifier of the first multicast tree, a second MPLS LABEL Record including a second tree identifier of the second multicast tree, and a MULTICAST Record including a plurality of primary tree identifiers and a plurality of standby tree identifiers. The MPLS LABEL Records include parameters, respectively, where the values of the parameters are indicative of respective packet processing rules to be applied for determining whether to accept or discard packets. When the parameter of an MPLS LABEL Record is set to a first value, a determination as to whether to accept or discard a packet received via the associated multicast tree is performed by comparing the tree identifier of the MPLS LABEL Record only to primary tree identifiers of the MULTICAST Record.

Abstract: A capability is provided for switching between primary and standby multicast trees on a network egress node of a multicast network. The network egress node includes a first MPLS LABEL Record including a first tree identifier of the first multicast tree, a second MPLS LABEL Record including a second tree identifier of the second multicast tree, and a MULTICAST Record including a plurality of primary tree identifiers and a plurality of standby tree identifiers. The MPLS LABEL Records include parameters, respectively, where the values of the parameters are indicative of respective packet processing rules to be applied for determining whether to accept or discard packets. When the parameter of an MPLS LABEL Record is set to a first value, a determination as to whether to accept or discard a packet received via the associated multicast tree is performed by comparing the tree identifier of the MPLS LABEL Record only to primary tree identifiers of the MULTICAST Record.

Abstract: Path information is obtained in a VPLS-based network by generating special Layer 2 frames (referred to herein as “trace-request frames”), performing source MAC filtering to identify the trace-request frames, and generating a special frame (referred to herein as a “trace-reply frame”) when the source MAC filtering identifies a trace-request frame. Upon identifying a trace-request frame, path information is collected and embedded into the trace-reply frame. The trace-reply frame is then sent to the originating node where the path information is used to learn the path that the trace-request frame traversed. By sending multiple trace-request frames with different source MAC addresses, path information received from source MAC filtering at different nodes in the VPLS-based network can be collected and used to learn an entire path of interest.

Abstract: An efficient mechanism for wire-tapping network traffic is disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, a primary forwarding lookup process and a secondary forwarding lookup process are performed in parallel and independently of each other. The primary forwarding lookup process determines the output interface to which the packet is to be routed regardless of whether the packet is to be intercepted. The secondary forwarding lookup process determines whether the packet is to be intercepted and also determines the output interface to which a copy of the packet is to be routed. Because the lookup processes are performed independently and in parallel, normal packet forwarding can be performed at line rate or near line rate while the packets are intercepted.

Abstract: Compatibility between applications in a network node with a distributed architecture is maintained after application upgrades by associating version compatibility information with interprocess communications (IPC) message structures and then utilizing the version compatibility information to identify IPC message structures that are used for communications between applications. Once the version compatibility information is associated with the IPC message structures, applications are configured to use only those IPC message structures that are compatible with the currently running version.

Abstract: A technique for managing traffic in a multiport network node involves establishing customer-specific VLANs within the multiport network node that are identified by a combination of a VLAN ID and a customer ID. Traffic received at the multiport network node is mapped to a customer-specific VLAN and then broadcast to ports that are included in the customer-specific VLAN. Because customer-specific VLANs are identified by a combination of a VLAN ID and customer ID, a service provider can establish and maintain private broadcast domains on a per-customer ID basis. This enables the service provider to expand the number of unique VLAN IDs within the Service Provider Edge Device beyond the 4,096 limitation set by the IEEE 802.1Q standard while maintaining interoperability with the IEEE 802.1Q standard for incoming and outgoing traffic.

Abstract: A technique for implementing VLANs across a service provider network involves establishing logical ports that have bindings to transport tunnels. The logical ports are then treated the same as physical ports in defining broadcast domains at particular service provider edge devices. Logical ports can be established for Layer 2 transport tunnels that use stacked VLAN tunneling and MPLS tunneling. Establishing a logical port that uses stacked VLAN tunneling involves binding a physical port and a stacked VLAN tunnel to the logical port. Establishing a logical port that uses MPLS tunneling involves binding an MPLS tunnel to a logical port. In one embodiment, the logical port is bound to a static MPLS tunnel and in another embodiment, the logical port is bound to a dynamic MPLS tunnel and the destination IP address of the destination service provider edge device.

Abstract: A concept of “Interface Class” is introduced. All logical interfaces that belong to an Interface Class are indistinguishable in hardware. Each Interface Class is associated with one or more packet forwarding rules, such as Access Control Lists (ACLs), Policy Routes, and Quality of Service (QoS). Each Interface Class is also assigned with a Class ID, which is a user-defined integer. When defined in terms of a Class ID, a logical interface (e.g., an L3 Interface) will inherit all the packet forwarding rules associated with the Class ID. In one embodiment, Class IDs and Interface IDs can be stored in the same hardware lookup table in association with data representative of their respective packet forwarding rules.

Abstract: Protection switching between primary and secondary paths in a packet-based network involves table entries that are pre-programmed with a primary path, a secondary path, and a value that identifies the primary path, referred to as a primary path identifier (PPI). When table entries are accessed to make forwarding decisions, the PPI is compared to a field that identifies that a particular path is down, referred to as a down path identifier (DPI). If the two fields match, (i.e., PPI=DPI), then the secondary path is selected instead of the primary path as the path on which the traffic should be forwarded.

Abstract: Path information is obtained in a VPLS-based network by generating special Layer 2 frames (referred to herein as “trace-request frames”), performing source MAC filtering to identify the trace-request frames, and generating a special frame (referred to herein as a “trace-reply frame”) when the source MAC filtering identifies a trace-request frame. Upon identifying a trace-request frame, path information is collected and embedded into the trace-reply frame. The trace-reply frame is then sent to the originating node where the path information is used to learn the path that the trace-request frame traversed. By sending multiple trace-request frames with different source MAC addresses, path information received from source MAC filtering at different nodes in the VPLS-based network can be collected and used to learn an entire path of interest.

Abstract: Compatibility between applications in a network node with a distributed architecture is maintained after application upgrades by associating version compatibility information with interprocess communications (IPC) message structures and then utilizing the version compatibility information to identify IPC message structures that are used for communications between applications. Once the version compatibility information is associated with the IPC message structures, applications are configured to use only those IPC message structures that are compatible with the currently running version.

Abstract: A technique for managing traffic in a multiport network node involves establishing customer-specific VLANs within the multiport network node that are identified by a combination of a VLAN ID and a customer ID. Traffic received at the multiport network node is mapped to a customer-specific VLAN and then broadcast to ports that are included in the customer-specific VLAN. Because customer-specific VLANs are identified by a combination of a VLAN ID and customer ID, a service provider can establish and maintain private broadcast domains on a per-customer ID basis. This enables the service provider to expand the number of unique VLAN IDs within the Service Provider Edge Device beyond the 4,096 limitation set by the IEEE 802.1Q standard while maintaining interoperability with the IEEE 802.1Q standard for incoming and outgoing traffic.

Abstract: An efficient mechanism for wire-tapping network traffic is disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, a primary forwarding lookup process and a secondary forwarding lookup process are performed in parallel and independently of each other. The primary forwarding lookup process determines the output interface to which the packet is to be routed regardless of whether the packet is to be intercepted. The secondary forwarding lookup process determines whether the packet is to be intercepted and also determines the output interface to which a copy of the packet is to be routed. Because the lookup processes are performed independently and in parallel, normal packet forwarding can be performed at line rate or near line rate while the packets are intercepted.

Abstract: A technique for implementing VLANs across a service provider network involves establishing logical ports that have bindings to transport tunnels. The logical ports are then treated the same as physical ports in defining broadcast domains at particular service provider edge devices. Logical ports can be established for Layer 2 transport tunnels that use stacked VLAN tunneling and MPLS tunneling. Establishing a logical port that uses stacked VLAN tunneling involves binding a physical port and a stacked VLAN tunnel to the logical port. Establishing a logical port that uses MPLS tunneling involves binding an MPLS tunnel to a logical port. In one embodiment, the logical port is bound to a static MPLS tunnel and in another embodiment, the logical port is bound to a dynamic MPLS tunnel and the destination IP address of the destination service provider edge device.

Abstract: A method of completing a kernel work concurrently with non-kernel work in a computer device having a single-threaded kernel is disclosed. The computer device completes kernel work within the context of a pacer process, which is a user process. In particular, atomic portions of the kernel work are executed in the context of the pacer process at which point nothing else is allowed to run. When an atomic portion of the kernel work has been executed, the pacer process temporarily relinquishes the processor of the computer device, thus suspending the execution of the kernel work and allowing execution of non-kernel work. Interrupts are also handled when execution of the kernel work is suspended. Once the kernel work has been completed, the pacer process goes into a “sleep” mode to await the invocation of another kernel work.

Abstract: Protection switching between primary and secondary paths in a packet-based network involves table entries that are pre-programmed with a primary path, a secondary path, and a value that identifies the primary path, referred to as a primary path identifier (PPI). When table entries are accessed to make forwarding decisions, the PPI is compared to a field that identifies that a particular path is down, referred to as a down path identifier (DPI). If the two fields match, (i.e., PPI=DPI), then the secondary path is selected instead of the primary path as the path on which the traffic should be forwarded.

Abstract: A concept of “Interface Class” is introduced. All logical interfaces that belong to an Interface Class are indistinguishable in hardware. Each Interface Class is associated with one or more packet forwarding rules, such as Access Control Lists (ACLs), Policy Routes, and Quality of Service (QoS). Each Interface Class is also assigned with a Class ID, which is a user-defined integer. When defined in terms of a Class ID, a logical interface (e.g., an L3 Interface) will inherit all the packet forwarding rules associated with the Class ID. In one embodiment, Class IDs and Interface IDs can be stored in the same hardware lookup table in association with data representative of their respective packet forwarding rules.