Abstract: A communications network component comprising a processor configured to implement a method comprising sending a fault message including degradation data, wherein the degradation data indicates a bandwidth reduction associated with a partial fault is disclosed. Also disclosed is a method comprising receiving a fault message comprising degradation data associated with a fault, determining whether an available bandwidth is less than a bandwidth reserved for a plurality of connections associated with the fault, and modifying the bandwidth reserved for the connections if the available bandwidth is less than the bandwidth reserved for the connection.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a first interface configured to transmit or receive backbone traffic, a second interface configured to transmit or receive non-backbone traffic, and a third interface in communication with the first interface and second interface, the third interface configured to multiplex or demultiplex the backbone traffic and the non-backbone traffic is disclosed, wherein the backbone traffic is traffic that will be, is, or has been B-tagged. Also disclosed is a node comprising a processor configured to implement a method comprising receiving a first data stream comprising backbone traffic, receiving a second data stream comprising non-backbone traffic, and multiplexing the first data stream with the second data stream.

Abstract: A communications network component comprising a processor configured to implement a method comprising receiving a first data structure comprising a first VID and a first forwarding type, determining whether the first data structure supersedes a second data structure comprising a second VID and a second forwarding type, and replacing the second data structure with the first data structure if the first data structure supersedes the second data structure is disclosed. Also disclosed is a method for maintaining the consistency of a table in a plurality of nodes, comprising receiving a registration of a table comprising a VID and a forwarding type, and distributing the table to a plurality of nodes associated with the registration.

Abstract: A communications network component comprising a processor configured to implement a method comprising processing a frame, wherein the frame comprises a forwarding type associated with the frame. Also disclosed is a communications network component comprising a processor configured to implement a method comprising receiving a frame associated with a destination address, a VID, and a forwarding type, determining whether the forwarding type associated with the frame is consistent with a forwarding type associated with the VID, and forwarding the frame to a port associated with the destination address if the forwarding type associated with the frame is consistent with the forwarding type associated with the VID.

Abstract: A method of using a domain-global Service Instance identifier at the boundaries between networks is disclosed. The method performs Service VLAN identifier to Service Instance identifier mapping function within a provider bridge when transmitting a service instance across a provider network.

Abstract: A data communications network includes a ring configured for spatial reuse, such as a resilient packet ring. A first bridge is coupled to the ring and to an end station such as an interworking bridge or router. A second bridge coupled to the ring learns an association between the first bridge and the end station by monitoring packets originated in the network by the end station and sent on the ring by the first bridge. The second bridge learns the association by obtaining an identifier of the first bridge and an address of the end station from received packets. When the second bridge receives packets destined for the end station, the packets are forwarded as broadcast transmissions on the ring if the association between the first bridge and the end station has not yet been learned, and are forwarded as unicast transmissions to the first bridge on the ring if the association between the first bridge and the end station has been learned.

Abstract: A network switch comprising a first ingress port configured to receive a first type of traffic, a second ingress port configured to receive a second type of traffic, a first egress port configured to communicate the first type of traffic, and a second egress port configured to communicate the second type of traffic. Included is a network component comprising a processor configured to implement a method comprising partitioning the traffic into traffic of a first type and traffic of a second type, dedicating a first portion of a total number of ports of a node for communicating the first type of traffic, dedicating a second portion of the total number of ports of the node for communicating the second type of traffic, and dedicating a third portion of the total number of ports of the node for communicating both the first type of traffic and the second type of traffic.

Abstract: A system is disclosed, that provides dynamic bandwidth sharing among a plurality of client nodes, which share network link resources in a communication network. Upon receipt of a bandwidth adjustment request from a requesting client node, the system adjusts bandwidth when network link capacity meets the bandwidth adjustment request, or when total amount of bandwidth offered to trade by any peers of the requesting client node meets the bandwidth adjustment request.

Abstract: A method of using a domain-global Service Instance identifier at the boundaries between networks is disclosed. The method performs Service VLAN identifier to Service Instance identifier mapping function within a provider bridge when transmitting a service instance across a provider network.

Abstract: A method of rate-control for a group of ports in a communication network. Ramping is performed for allowed-rate of each of the group of ports, if sum of the ingress-rates of the group of ports is less than a given rate threshold; and adjusting is performed for allowed-rate of each of the group of ports, if sum of the ingress-rates of the group of ports is greater than or equal to the given rate threshold, such that the sum of allowed-rates of the group of ports is equal to the given rate threshold.

Abstract: A system for rate management of communication services. The system comprises at least one group of ports sharing a guaranteed-rate; and each of the group of ports determines an allowed-rate using at least one rate management policy.

Abstract: A system for providing aggregate-rate communication services is provided. The system comprises a provider network, having an arbitrary topology; a plurality of customers; and a plurality of port nodes, comprising at least one aggregation-group. Port nodes in the at least one aggregation-group share capacity of the at least one aggregation-group fairly. Each of the plurality of customers is associated with at least one of the plurality of port nodes to access the provider network.

Abstract: A system for passive alarm propagation and suppression in a communication network is disclosed. The system includes a packet based network including one subset of network providing connectivity to other set(s) of network. The network includes a first edge node and a second edge node; a first customer node connecting to the first edge node and a second customer node connecting to the second edge node; and a replicated alarm suppression table (RAST) residing in the first provider edge node.

Abstract: A ring network provides transparent local area network (LAN) service by allocating respective proportions of data transmission capacity of the ring to different closed user groups (CUGs), each including a plurality of LAN clients. At each node of the ring, the use of a connected segment of the ring is monitored for both pass-through and locally-generated traffic by the LAN clients on a per-CUG basis. When it is detected that use of the connected segment for a CUG is approaching the allocated proportion, an active LAN client of the CUG is selected and sent a throttle message indicating that the LAN client is to reduce its data transmission rate. Rate monitoring for is accomplished using a “leaky bucket” mechanism. A “rate cache” identifying the active senders and their transmission rates can also be used in selecting a LAN client for receiving the throttle message.

Abstract: A ring network provides transparent local area network (LAN) service by allocating respective proportions of data transmission capacity of the ring to different closed user groups (CUGs), each including a plurality of LAN clients. At each node of the ring, the use of a connected segment of the ring is monitored for both pass-through and locally-generated traffic by the LAN clients on a per-CUG basis. When it is detected that use of the connected segment for a CUG is approaching the allocated proportion, an active LAN client of the CUG is selected and sent a throttle message indicating that the LAN client is to reduce its data transmission rate. Rate monitoring for is accomplished using a “leaky bucket” mechanism. A “rate cache” identifying the active senders and their transmission rates can also be used in selecting a LAN client for receiving the throttle message.

Abstract: A data communications network includes a ring configured for spatial reuse, such as a resilient packet ring. A first bridge is coupled to the ring and to an end station such as an interworking bridge or router. A second bridge coupled to the ring learns an association between the first bridge and the end station by monitoring packets originated in the network by the end station and sent on the ring by the first bridge. The second bridge learns the association by obtaining an identifier of the first bridge and an address of the end station from received packets. When the second bridge receives packets destined for the end station, the packets are forwarded as broadcast transmissions on the ring if the association between the first bridge and the end station has not yet been learned, and are forwarded as unicast transmissions to the first bridge on the ring if the association between the first bridge and the end station has been learned.

Abstract: This invention relates to the merging of data cells arriving at an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) switching node from data frames originating with a number of senders. As is standard in ATM networks, each originating frame is segmented into a series of cells each having Virtual Path Identifier (VPI) and a Virtual Channel Identifier (VCI) in its header portion. On arrival at each switching node, the VCI of the first cell of a frame is overwritten by a new outgoing VCI value that is used for all other cells of the frame. Thus, the actual movement of each cell through the network is controlled only by the cell's VPI, whereas the VCI field is used only to distinguish frames from each other. A feature of the invention is that it can accommodate Early Packet Discard in a simple way by associated any discard indication determined for a frame with the outgoing VCI value which also applies to all cells of the entire frame.

Abstract: The present invention is an apparatus that manages Packet-Discard at a switch in an ATM network. The apparatus includes a table having a number of table addresses (or indexes). Each table address stores a record for incoming data cells of a frame. The records indicate whether data cells of the frame are be discarded. The number of possible cell identifiers is greater than the number of table addresses. The apparatus also includes a processor unit which receives a data cell having a cell identifier. The processor unit determines a table key, based on the cell identifier such that the table key is within the range of the table addresses. The processor unit then searches a record in the table associated with the table key to determine whether the data cell is to be discarded.

Abstract: This invention defines a routing method which allows a determination of best paths from link weights in situations where these weights are not additive, but the characteristic of a concatenated path is determined mainly by single "bottleneck" links. To be compatible, the metric must be chosen from a specific set of metrics, called bottleneck metrics in this description. The new widest-path method has some characteristics in common with the known Dijkstra method for additive weights. Implementations in communication networks are disclosed which lead to new nodes, new networks and new network protocols.

Abstract: A computer network in which resources are dynamically located through the use of LOCATE requests includes multiple cache server nodes, network nodes which have an additional obligation to build and maintain large caches of directory entries. Cache server nodes play a key role in the LOCATE process and can prevent redundant network-wide broadcasts of LOCATE requests. Where an origin cache server node receives a request from a served node, the cache server node searches its local directories first, then forwards the request to alternate cache server nodes if necessary. If the necessary information isn't found locally or in alternate cache server nodes, the LOCATE request is then broadcast to all network nodes in the network. If the broadcast results are negative, the request is forwarded to selected gateway nodes to permit the search to continue in adjacent networks.