Abstract: Techniques for recovering from hierarchical virtual private LAN service (HVPLS) hub connectivity failure with a dynamic spoke pseudowire. According to one embodiment of the invention, a provider edge (PE) network element in the HVPLS hub monitors for a failure of HVPLS hub connectivity failure and reuses an HVPLS spoke connectivity failure recovery mechanism in an MTU by fabricating failure of one or more spoke facing connectivity elements coupling the MTU with the PE network element causing the MTU to transition to a secondary PE network element in the HVPLS hub. In addition, the PE network element establishes a dynamic spoke pseudowire for each virtual instance affected with the MTU to restore HVPLS hub connectivity for that PE network element.

Abstract: Techniques for recovering from hierarchical virtual private LAN service (HVPLS) hub connectivity failure with a dynamic spoke pseudowire. According to one embodiment of the invention, a provider edge (PE) network element in the HVPLS hub monitors for a failure of HVPLS hub connectivity failure and reuses an HVPLS spoke connectivity failure recovery mechanism in an MTU by fabricating failure of one or more spoke facing connectivity elements coupling the MTU with the PE network element causing the MTU to transition to a secondary PE network element in the HVPLS hub. In addition, the PE network element establishes a dynamic spoke pseudowire for each virtual instance affected with the MTU to restore HVPLS hub connectivity for that PE network element.

Abstract: On a first network element in a radio access network (RAN), supporting operations, management and administration (OAM) between network elements that support Ethernet in the first mile (EFM) and network elements that support connectivity fault management (CFM) in the radio access network by receiving an EFM message from a second network element that supports EFM, wherein the second network element is in the RAN and wherein the EFM message includes OAM data; converting the OAM data from the EFM message into a sub-type-length-value (sub-TLV) of a CFM message; and transmitting the CFM message including the OAM data in the sub-TLV to a third network element that supports CFM, wherein the third network element is in the RAN, whereby an end-to-end OAM sublayer is provided in the RAN by conversion of OAM data from EFM to CFM.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing the number of CC messages transmitted in a provider network. In one embodiment of the invention, a first service provider network element receives CC messages from a first customer network at a first periodicity rate. The first service provider network element stores the received CC messages and reduces the first periodicity rate to create a second periodicity rate that is smaller than the first periodicity rate. The first service provider network element transmits CC messages to a second service provider network element through the provider network at the second periodicity rate. Other methods and apparatus are also described.

Abstract: Techniques for providing connectivity fault management (CFM) for a multi-tiered network are described herein. In one embodiment, a link trace message (LTM) is received at a provider edge (PE) router and originated from a first Ethernet node and destined to a second Ethernet node, where the PE router interfaces an Ethernet and a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) network. In response, the PE router initiates an MPLS trace session, including generating an MPLS trace message based on the LTM message to one or more MPLS nodes along a path between the first and second Ethernet nodes within the MPLS network. Subsequently, in response to one or more MPLS trace reply messages from the MPLS nodes of the MPLS network, the PE router generates a first link trace reply (LTR) message and sends the first LTR message to the first Ethernet node over the Ethernet. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

Abstract: Techniques for recovering from hierarchical virtual private LAN service (HVPLS) hub connectivity failure with a dynamic spoke pseudowire. According to one embodiment of the invention, a provider edge (PE) network element in the HVPLS hub monitors for a failure of HVPLS hub connectivity failure and reuses an HVPLS spoke connectivity failure recovery mechanism in an MTU by fabricating failure of one or more spoke facing connectivity elements coupling the MTU with the PE network element causing the MTU to transition to a secondary PE network element in the HVPLS hub. In addition, the PE network element establishes a dynamic spoke pseudowire for each virtual instance affected with the MTU to restore HVPLS hub connectivity for that PE network element.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing the number of CC messages transmitted in a provider network. In one embodiment of the invention, a first service provider network element receives CC messages from a first customer network at a first periodicity rate. The first service provider network element stores the received CC messages and reduces the first periodicity rate to create a second periodicity rate that is smaller than the first periodicity rate. The first service provider network element transmits CC messages to a second service provider network element through the provider network at the second periodicity rate. Other methods and apparatus are also described.

Abstract: A method for load balancing IPTV channels is described. In one embodiment of the invention, a first Provider Edge (PE) network element of a label switched network, coupled with a second PE network element over multiple member links of an aggregate link, receives IPTV packets. For each IPTV packet received, the first PE network determines layer 3 information of the IPTV packet, and generates one or more channel load balancing keys based on the layer 3 information. The PE network element generates a hash value from the channel load balancing keys and determines which one of multiple member links to transmit the IPTV packet on based on the hash value, and transmits the IPTV packet to the second PE network element on the determined member link. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

Abstract: Techniques for providing connectivity fault management (CFM) for a multi-tiered network are described herein. In one embodiment, a link trace message (LTM) is received at a provider edge (PE) router and originated from a first Ethernet node and destined to a second Ethernet node, where the PE router interfaces an Ethernet and a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) network. In response, the PE router initiates an MPLS trace session, including generating an MPLS trace message based on the LTM message to one or more MPLS nodes along a path between the first and second Ethernet nodes within the MPLS network. Subsequently, in response to one or more MPLS trace reply messages from the MPLS nodes of the MPLS network, the PE router generates a first link trace reply (LTR) message and sends the first LTR message to the first Ethernet node over the Ethernet. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

Abstract: A method and apparatus that proxies connectivity check messages and sends fault state changes messages across an MPLS/VPLS network is described. A network element proxies connectivity check messages for remote maintenance endpoints based on a local database. The network element updates the database based on received fault state change message that identify a fault state change of a remote maintenance endpoint. The network element detects fault state changes of local maintenance endpoints and sends a fault state change message to other network elements that proxy connectivity check message for the local maintenance endpoints.

Abstract: A method and apparatus that proxies connectivity check messages and sends fault state changes messages across an MPLS/VPLS network is described. A network element proxies connectivity check messages for remote maintenance endpoints based on a local database. The network element updates the database based on received fault state change message that identify a fault state change of a remote maintenance endpoint. The network element detects fault state changes of local maintenance endpoints and sends a fault state change message to other network elements that proxy connectivity check message for the local maintenance endpoints.

Abstract: Differentiated services for network traffic using weighted quality of service is provided. Network traffic is queued into separate per flow queues, and traffic is scheduled from the per flow queues into a group queue. Congestion management is performed on traffic in the group queue. Traffic is marked with priority values, and congestion management is performed based on the priority values. For example, traffic can be marked as “in contract” if it is within a contractual limit, and marked as “out of contract” if it is not within the contractual limit. Marking can also include classifying incoming traffic based on Differentiated Service Code Point. Higher priority traffic can be scheduled from the per flow queues in a strict priority over lower priority traffic. The lower priority traffic can be scheduled in a round robin manner.

Abstract: Differentiated service classes on a label switch path are managed by comparing at least one packet field value included in a packet of data to mapping field values of a mapping that correlates the mapping field values with queues. The packet is stored into one of the queues based on the comparing. A first subset of the queues is scheduled using a first queue scheduling algorithm and a second subset of the queues is scheduled using a second queue scheduling algorithm. The packet is transmitted onto the label switch path in accordance with a predefined scheduling order of the first subset of the queues and the second subset of the queues.