Abstract: The present disclosure may include a method of handling test packets in an apparatus with a first unit communicatively coupled with a second unit. The method may comprise designating a test packet with type information, the type information indicating whether the test packet is handled by the first unit, the second unit, or either unit. The method additionally may include setting one or more bits of a register of the first unit to select whether the first unit will handle all of the test packets with type information designating either unit. The disclosure further includes associated systems and apparatuses.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method may include generating a first plurality of Service Operation, Administration, and Management (SOAM) flows intended for a working port and a second plurality of SOAM flows intended for a protection port, wherein the working port and the protection port form a link aggregation group, determining whether each of the working port and the protection port is an active port or an inactive port, dropping all of the first plurality of SOAM flows if the working port is the inactive port, communicating all of the first plurality of SOAM flows to the working port if the working port is the active port, dropping all of the second plurality of SOAM flows if the protection port is the inactive port, and communicating all of the second plurality of SOAM flows to the protection port if the protection port is the active port.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method may include receiving a plurality of flows, the plurality of flows comprising a working group of flows received via a working path and a protection group of flows received via a protection path, marking each flow in the working group with a first class marker, marking each flow in the protection group with a second class marker, determining whether each of the working group and the protection group is an active group or an inactive group, determining whether each of the plurality of flows is in the active group or in the inactive group based on whether each of the plurality of flows is marked with the first class marker or the second class marker, dropping each flow in the inactive group, and passing each flow in the active group.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method may include assigning one egress profile identifier out of a plurality of egress profile identifiers to an Ethernet frame based at least on an egress connection identifier (eXid) tag of the Ethernet frame at a traffic manager, receiving the Ethernet frame at a switching element from the traffic manager, receiving metadata at the switching element from the traffic manager, the metadata comprising the assigned egress profile identifier, an internal class of service marker, and an internal congestion marker, and mapping the internal class of service marker and the internal congestion marker to a priority marker and an external congestion marker in the Ethernet frame based on the egress profile identifier.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an input-output (I-O) panel is transformed. The I-O panel is configured to couple to an array of first midplane connectors of a first shelf configured according to a first format, where the first shelf has rear access. The I-O panel comprises an array of I-O panel connectors and defines an xy-plane. An array of second midplane connectors of a second shelf is transformed to substantially align the second midplane connectors with the I-O panel connectors. The second shelf is configured according to a second format, where the second shelf has front access. The array of second midplane connectors is arranged in columns defining a midplane column axis and rows defining a midplane row axis.

Abstract: The present disclosure may include a method of handling test packets in an apparatus with a first unit communicatively coupled with a second unit. The method may comprise designating a test packet with type information, the type information indicating whether the test packet is handled by the first unit, the second unit, or either unit. The method additionally may include setting one or more bits of a register of the first unit to select whether the first unit will handle all of the test packets with type information designating either unit. The disclosure further includes associated systems and apparatuses.

Abstract: A networking device of one embodiment includes a processor, a memory, a networking module, and a traffic manager module. The networking module is configured to receive a packet comprising a first header (the first header comprising information identifying a flow), add a second header to the packet (the second header identifying the packet as a test packet), and assign processing rules to the packet based at least on the information identifying the flow. The traffic manager module is configured to remove one of the first header and the second header from the packet and process the packet in accordance with the processing rules.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method may include writing a congestion forward indicator (CFI) bit of an outer virtual local area network (VLAN) tag in an Ethernet frame to one of a first setting or a second setting, reading the CFI bit of the outer VLAN tag at a switching element, copying priority (PRI) bits of the outer VLAN tag to PRI bits of an inner VLAN tag if the CFI bit of the outer VLAN tag is set to the first setting, and maintaining the state of the PRI bits of the inner VLAN tag if the CFI bit of the outer VLAN tag is set to the second setting.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an apparatus comprises one or more hub interfaces and one or more processors. A hub interface is coupled to an access network element of a ring network comprising a number of access network elements. The ring network comprises a pair of rings: a first ring traveling in a first direction and a second ring traveling in a second direction. The processors perform the following for each access network element: facilitate establishing a pair of point-to-point logical connections to couple a access network element to a hub interface at a corresponding dedicated bandwidth, a first connection traveling along the first ring, a second connection traveling along the second ring; facilitate establishing a pair of tunnels on the pair of point-to-point connections; and utilize the tunnels to protect the ring network.

Abstract: A system and method provide measurement of round trip delay and jitter in an optical network without adding cost to the components of the network. A method of determining round-trip delay and jitter in an optical network comprises the steps of a) transmitting a test frame over the optical network to a device on the optical network, b) receiving a looped-back test frame from the device over the optical network, and c) determining a round-trip delay measurement using the received looped-back test frame.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method may include writing a congestion forward indicator (CFI) bit of an outer virtual local area network (VLAN) tag in an Ethernet frame to one of a first setting or a second setting, reading the CFI bit of the outer VLAN tag at a switching element, copying priority (PRI) bits of the outer VLAN tag to PRI bits of an inner VLAN tag if the CFI bit of the outer VLAN tag is set to the first setting, and maintaining the state of the PRI bits of the inner VLAN tag if the CFI bit of the outer VLAN tag is set to the second setting.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method may include receiving a plurality of flows, the plurality of flows comprising a working group of flows received via a working path and a protection group of flows received via a protection path, marking each flow in the working group with a first class marker, marking each flow in the protection group with a second class marker, determining whether each of the working group and the protection group is an active group or an inactive group, determining whether each of the plurality of flows is in the active group or in the inactive group based on whether each of the plurality of flows is marked with the first class marker or the second class marker, dropping each flow in the inactive group, and passing each flow in the active group.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method may include generating a first plurality of Service Operation, Administration, and Management (SOAM) flows intended for a working port and a second plurality of SOAM flows intended for a protection port, wherein the working port and the protection port form a link aggregation group, determining whether each of the working port and the protection port is an active port or an inactive port, dropping all of the first plurality of SOAM flows if the working port is the inactive port, communicating all of the first plurality of SOAM flows to the working port if the working port is the active port, dropping all of the second plurality of SOAM flows if the protection port is the inactive port, and communicating all of the second plurality of SOAM flows to the protection port if the protection port is the active port.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method may include assigning one egress profile identifier out of a plurality of egress profile identifiers to an Ethernet frame based at least on an egress connection identifier (eXid) tag of the Ethernet frame at a traffic manager, receiving the Ethernet frame at a switching element from the traffic manager, receiving metadata at the switching element from the traffic manager, the metadata comprising the assigned egress profile identifier, an internal class of service marker, and an internal congestion marker, and mapping the internal class of service marker and the internal congestion marker to a priority marker and an external congestion marker in the Ethernet frame based on the egress profile identifier.

Abstract: In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, a method may include receiving a plurality of frames in a flow from a plurality of traffic managers, determining whether a traffic manager from which a frame in the flow was sent is a primary traffic manager for the flow or a secondary traffic manager for the flow based on a class marker for the frame, switching the frame if the frame is from the primary traffic manager for the flow, and discarding the frame if the frame is from the secondary traffic manager for the flow.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an input-output (I-O) panel is transformed. The I-O panel is configured to couple to an array of first midplane connectors of a first shelf configured according to a first format, where the first shelf has rear access. The I-O panel comprises an array of I-O panel connectors and defines an xy-plane. An array of second midplane connectors of a second shelf is transformed to substantially align the second midplane connectors with the I-O panel connectors. The second shelf is configured according to a second format, where the second shelf has front access. The array of second midplane connectors is arranged in columns defining a midplane column axis and rows defining a midplane row axis.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an input-output (I-O) panel is transformed. The I-O panel is configured to couple to an array of first midplane connectors of a first shelf configured according to a first format, where the first shelf has rear access. The I-O panel comprises an array of I-O panel connectors and defines an xy-plane. An array of second midplane connectors of a second shelf is transformed to substantially align the second midplane connectors with the I-O panel connectors. The second shelf is configured according to a second format, where the second shelf has front access. The array of second midplane connectors is arranged in columns defining a midplane column axis and rows defining a midplane row axis.

Abstract: A system comprises a backplane configured to receive a first signal and a second signal from a first plug-in unit, and a third signal and a fourth signal from a second plug-in unit, wherein the backplane is further configured to communicate each of the signals to one or more mid-plane connectors. The system further comprises the one or more mid-plane connectors configured to output the first and third signals at a first output as separate signals, and configured to output the second and fourth signals at a second output as separate signals. The system further comprises one or more I/O panels each configured to receive the first and third signals at a first input and to receive the second and fourth signals at a second input.

Abstract: A method for traffic shaping includes receiving traffic from one or more clients at one or more ingress ports of forwarding engine of a network node. The method also includes transmitting at least a portion of the traffic through the forwarding engine to one or more first egress ports of the forwarding engine and shaping the traffic transmitted to the egress ports. Furthermore, the method includes looping the shaped traffic internally within the network node back to one or more ingress ports of the forwarding engine. The method further includes transmitting the looped traffic through the forwarding engine to one or more second egress ports (the second egress ports different than the first egress ports) and outputting the shaped traffic from the network node.

Abstract: A system and method provides Link Aggregation that internalizes the link aggregation to improve internal traffic capacity, in addition to sharing traffic across external links to connecting packet systems.