Patents by Inventor Toerless Eckert

Toerless Eckert has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10693765
    Abstract: Methods and network devices are disclosed for failure protection in traffic-engineered bit indexed explicit replication networks. In one embodiment, a method includes determining a protected link or node in a network, where the protected link or node is included in a designated path to be taken by a message through the network to a destination node, the designated path is encoded in a message bit array carried by the message, and assigned bit positions in the message bit array represent respective network links along the designated path. The method further includes determining a backup path to the destination node from a feeder node adapted to forward a message carrying the message bit array into the protected link or node, and populating an entry in a path update table stored at the feeder node. In one embodiment a network device includes a network interface and a processor configured to carry out the methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Toerless Eckert, Ijsbrand Wijnands, Gregory A. Shepherd, Neale D. R. Ranns
  • Publication number: 20190327168
    Abstract: Methods, network devices and computer readable media are disclosed for traffic-engineered forwarding through a new form of bit indexed explicit replication. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, at an ingress node of a network, a message associated with a message flow, obtaining a message bit array corresponding to the message flow, encapsulating the message with the message bit array to form an encapsulated message, and forwarding the encapsulated message into the network. Bit positions in the message bit array are assigned to separate segments of a path or tree in the network, and an explicit path or tree for the message flow is defined as an end to end connection of multiple segments assigned bit positions having a first bit value in the message bit array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Inventors: Toerless Eckert, Ijsbrand Wijnands, Gregory J. Shepherd, Neale D. R. Ranns
  • Publication number: 20190273727
    Abstract: A network device includes a transmitter and a receiver to establish a secure connection with one or more network nodes as part of a Autonomic Control Plane (ACP) network. The network device also includes a processor coupled to the transmitter and receiver. The processor receives a request from an application to initiate a connection with a destination network node. The processor also receives packets from the application for transmission toward the destination network node. When the packets from the application are unencrypted, the processor end-to-end encrypts the unencrypted packets without notifying the application. The transmitter then transmits the encrypted packets towards the destination network node across the ACP network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2018
    Publication date: September 5, 2019
    Inventors: Toerless Eckert, Sheng Jiang, Bing Liu
  • Publication number: 20190259118
    Abstract: A system and method for provisioning secure devices onto a network are provided. The system includes a voucher server configured to provide a vouchers to a logistics device, and a secure pledge device associated with an RFID (Radio Frequency Identifier) chip, wherein the RFID chip comprises the voucher obtained from the voucher server and written to the RFID chip by the logistics device and the voucher is used for provisioning the pledge device to a customer network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Inventor: Toerless ECKERT
  • Patent number: 10341222
    Abstract: Methods and network devices are disclosed for traffic-engineered forwarding through a new form of bit indexed explicit replication. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving at a first node in a network a message comprising a message bit array, and comparing bit values at one or more bit positions in the message bit array to one or more entries in a forwarding table stored at the first node. The one or more bit positions correspond in this embodiment to links in the network. This embodiment of the method further includes forwarding the message over a link represented in the forwarding table if a result of the comparing indicates that the link is included in a path to be taken by the message. In a further embodiment of the method, the message is a multicast message and forwarding the message comprises forwarding a replica of the multicast message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Toerless Eckert, Ijsbrand Wijnands, Gregory J. Shepherd, Neale D. R. Ranns
  • Patent number: 10341221
    Abstract: Methods and network devices are disclosed for traffic-engineered forwarding through a new form of bit indexed explicit replication. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving at a first node in a network a message comprising a message bit array, and comparing bit values at one or more bit positions in the message bit array to one or more entries in a forwarding table stored at the first node. The one or more bit positions correspond in this embodiment to links in the network. This embodiment of the method further includes forwarding the message over a link represented in the forwarding table if a result of the comparing indicates that the link is included in a path to be taken by the message. In a further embodiment of the method, the message is a multicast message and forwarding the message comprises forwarding a replica of the multicast message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Toerless Eckert, Ijsbrand Wijnands, Gregory J. Shepherd, Neale D. R. Ranns
  • Publication number: 20190089629
    Abstract: A network device is provided that comprises a plurality of physical ports, an autonomic device fabric (ADF) module configured to receive, send, and forward data packets via the plurality of physical ports, a memory that stores instructions, and one or more processors configured by the instructions to perform operations. The operations comprise determining that network device software is not installed and requesting the network device software from a management machine using the ADF module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Inventors: Toerless Eckert, Hongliang Gao
  • Publication number: 20190020574
    Abstract: Methods and network devices are disclosed for failure protection in traffic-engineered bit indexed explicit replication networks. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving at a node in a network a message comprising a message bit array, where bit positions in the message bit array correspond to respective links in the network. The method further includes evaluating a bit value at a bit position in the message bit array, where the bit position corresponds to a network link represented in a forwarding table for the node, checking for a failure state of the link represented in the forwarding table, and, responsive to a determination of a failure state of the link, modifying one or more bit values in the message bit array. In one embodiment a network device includes a network interface, a memory configured to store a forwarding table, and a processor configured to carry out the methods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Publication date: January 17, 2019
    Inventors: Toerless Eckert, Ijsbrand Wijnands, Gregory A. Shepherd, Neale D. R. Ranns
  • Patent number: 10164938
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an addressing agent determines a logical static IP addressing scheme for a computer network, the addressing scheme shared with an application server and defining a static mapping of IP addresses to particular types of application-based devices that are managed by the application server in particular physical locations within the computer network. The addressing agent determines a topology of the computer network indicative of application-based devices, their type, and their physical location. The addressing agent calculates a dynamic IP address for the devices based on their type and physical location as defined by the addressing scheme, and collaboratively assigns their corresponding calculated dynamic IP address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Toerless Eckert, B. L. Balaji, Michael Freed
  • Patent number: 10122614
    Abstract: Methods and network devices are disclosed for failure protection in traffic-engineered bit indexed explicit replication networks. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving at a node in a network a message comprising a message bit array, where bit positions in the message bit array correspond to respective links in the network. The method further includes evaluating a bit value at a bit position in the message bit array, where the bit position corresponds to a network link represented in a forwarding table for the node, checking for a failure state of the link represented in the forwarding table, and, responsive to a determination of a failure state of the link, modifying one or more bit values in the message bit array. In one embodiment a network device includes a network interface, a memory configured to store a forwarding table, and a processor configured to carry out the methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Toerless Eckert, Ijsbrand Wijnands, Gregory A. Shepherd, Neale D. R. Ranns
  • Publication number: 20180063075
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an addressing agent determines a logical static IP addressing scheme for a computer network, the addressing scheme shared with an application server and defining a static mapping of IP addresses to particular types of application-based devices that are managed by the application server in particular physical locations within the computer network. The addressing agent determines a topology of the computer network indicative of application-based devices, their type, and their physical location. The addressing agent calculates a dynamic IP address for the devices based on their type and physical location as defined by the addressing scheme, and collaboratively assigns their corresponding calculated dynamic IP address.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2016
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Inventors: Toerless Eckert, B. L. Balaji, Michael Freed
  • Patent number: 9667635
    Abstract: A trust relationship is established at a first network connected device between the first network connected device and a second network connected device. A communication session is established between the first network connected device and a third network connected device, wherein the third network connected device lacks a trust relationship with the second network connected device. A message is sent from the first network connected device to establish a communication session between the third network connected device and the second network connected device based on the trust relationship between the first network connected device and the second network connected device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Calvin Byers, Toerless Eckert, Faisal Siyavudeen
  • Publication number: 20160285891
    Abstract: A trust relationship is established at a first network connected device between the first network connected device and a second network connected device. A communication session is established between the first network connected device and a third network connected device, wherein the third network connected device lacks a trust relationship with the second network connected device. A message is sent from the first network connected device to establish a communication session between the third network connected device and the second network connected device based on the trust relationship between the first network connected device and the second network connected device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Inventors: Charles Calvin Byers, Toerless Eckert, Faisal Siyavudeen
  • Publication number: 20160254988
    Abstract: Methods and network devices are disclosed for traffic-engineered forwarding through a new form of bit indexed explicit replication. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving at a first node in a network a message comprising a message bit array, and comparing bit values at one or more bit positions in the message bit array to one or more entries in a forwarding table stored at the first node. The one or more bit positions correspond in this embodiment to links in the network. This embodiment of the method further includes forwarding the message over a link represented in the forwarding table if a result of the comparing indicates that the link is included in a path to be taken by the message. In a further embodiment of the method, the message is a multicast message and forwarding the message comprises forwarding a replica of the multicast message.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Inventors: Toerless Eckert, Ijsbrand Wijnands, Gregory J. Shepherd, Neale D. R. Ranns
  • Publication number: 20160254991
    Abstract: Methods and network devices are disclosed for failure protection in traffic-engineered bit indexed explicit replication networks. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving at a node in a network a message comprising a message bit array, where bit positions in the message bit array correspond to respective links in the network. The method further includes evaluating a bit value at a bit position in the message bit array, where the bit position corresponds to a network link represented in a forwarding table for the node, checking for a failure state of the link represented in the forwarding table, and, responsive to a determination of a failure state of the link, modifying one or more bit values in the message bit array. In one embodiment a network device includes a network interface, a memory configured to store a forwarding table, and a processor configured to carry out the methods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Inventors: Toerless Eckert, Ijsbrand Wijnands, Gregory A. Shepherd, Neale D. R. Ranns
  • Publication number: 20160254987
    Abstract: Methods and network devices are disclosed for traffic-engineered forwarding through a new form of bit indexed explicit replication. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving at a first node in a network a message comprising a message bit array, and comparing bit values at one or more bit positions in the message bit array to one or more entries in a forwarding table stored at the first node. The one or more bit positions correspond in this embodiment to links in the network. This embodiment of the method further includes forwarding the message over a link represented in the forwarding table if a result of the comparing indicates that the link is included in a path to be taken by the message. In a further embodiment of the method, the message is a multicast message and forwarding the message comprises forwarding a replica of the multicast message.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Inventors: Toerless Eckert, Ijsbrand Wijnands, Gregory J. Shepherd, Neale D. R. Ranns
  • Patent number: 9391959
    Abstract: To avoid user error and breaking operations, administration and management (OAM), the control plane for implementing OAM is automatically generated by network devices without user input. This control plane is hidden from the user, preventing any configuration that may bring down the connectivity for OAM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Steinthor Bjarnason, Michael Behringer, Yves Hertoghs, Toerless Eckert, Balaji B. L.
  • Patent number: 9338079
    Abstract: A method of routing multicast traffic in a computer network is disclosed. The method comprises associating a plurality of multicast group addresses on a network device with respective multicast routing topologies. A network device and a network are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Yiqun Cai, Toerless Eckert, Lorenzo Vicisano, Arjen Boers, Daniel A. Alvarez
  • Publication number: 20150236943
    Abstract: A method of routing multicast traffic in a computer network is disclosed. The method comprises associating a plurality of multicast group addresses on a network device with respective multicast routing topologies. A network device and a network are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2015
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Inventors: Yiqun Cai, Toerless Eckert, Lorenzo Vicisano, Arjen Boers, Daniel A. Alvarez
  • Patent number: 9059943
    Abstract: A method of routing multicast traffic in a computer network is disclosed. The method comprises associating a plurality of multicast group addresses on a network device with respective multicast routing topologies. A network device and a network are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Yiqun Cai, Toerless Eckert, Lorenzo Vicisano, Arjen Boers, Daniel A. Alvarez