Abstract: To perform protection switching between tunnels in a network, Y.1731-based APS messages are often sent from a management system to nodes at the tunnels' end-points. If the management system is located near one node (local node) and far away from the other node (remote node), the APS message, which operates at the Ethernet service layer, travels to the remote node slower than traffic over the tunnels. This slower transmission time may prevent the remote node from performing a switch within a desired timeframe. The disclosed embodiments include a 1:1 bidirectional VLAN-based protection arrangement that accomplishes a 50 millisecond switching time without using Y.1731-based APS messages. The embodiments accomplish this by sending a switching command from the management system to the local node and modifying a message already traveling from the local node to the remote node to include a switching message that causes the remote node to perform the switch.

Abstract: Embodiments including methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for calculating frame parameters for the purpose of measuring performance in a network based on the calculated frame parameters are disclosed. By automatically or manually provisioning at least two network elements in a star or other network topology to transmit and receive service frames (e.g., Loss Measurement Messages or Loss Measurement Responses), the embodiments enable network elements to share network resources, such as frame counters, thereby decreasing the number of frame counters needed to perform frame parameter measurements and increasing scalability for a given counter resource supported by a low cost network processor units.

Abstract: A multi-mode transmission unit processes data to form an error correction code in accordance with one of a plurality of selectable processes. The data, correction code and a process identifier can be transmitted to a receiving unit which can carry out error correction of the data in accordance with the identified process.

Abstract: To perform protection switching between tunnels in a network, Y.1731-based APS messages are often sent from a management system to nodes at the tunnels' end-points. If the management system is located near one node (local node) and far away from the other node (remote node), the APS message, which operates at the Ethernet service layer, travels to the remote node slower than traffic over the tunnels. This slower transmission time may prevent the remote node from performing a switch within a desired timeframe. The disclosed embodiments include a 1:1 bidirectional VLAN-based protection arrangement that accomplishes a 50 millisecond switching time without using Y.1731-based APS messages. The embodiments accomplish this by sending a switching command from the management system to the local node and modifying a message already traveling from the local node to the remote node to include a switching message that causes the remote node to perform the switch.

Abstract: The embodiments disclosed herein provide a mechanism for sharing protection resources in an arbitrary network topology involving pre-computing the protection resources so that data-plane-based protection can be used to activate the protection resources upon detection of a failure, thus, providing faster switching times than typical control-plane-based solutions. This is accomplished by configuring a mesh network to include, for a working path in the network, one or more protection paths with the same end nodes as the working path, where each protection path includes at least one intermediate node that is not part of the working path. The intermediate node accepts a protection request from one of the end nodes and determines whether a local resource for a protection path is available.

Abstract: To perform protection switching between tunnels in a network, Y.1731-based APS messages are often sent from a management system to nodes at the tunnels' end-points. If the management system is located near one node (local node) and far away from the other node (remote node), the APS message, which operates at the Ethernet service layer, travels to the remote node slower than traffic over the tunnels. This slower transmission time may prevent the remote node from performing a switch within a desired timeframe. The disclosed embodiments include a 1:1 bidirectional VLAN-based protection arrangement that accomplishes a 50 millisecond switching time without using Y.1731-based APS messages. The embodiments accomplish this by sending a switching command from the management system to the local node and modifying a message already traveling from the local node to the remote node to include a switching message that causes the remote node to perform the switch.

Abstract: A multi-mode transmission unit processes data to form an error correction code in accordance with one of a plurality of selectable processes. The data, correction code and a process identifier can be transmitted to a receiving unit which can carry out error correction of the data in accordance with the identified process.

Abstract: A multi-mode transmission unit processes data to form an error correction code in accordance with one of a plurality of selectable processes. The data, correction code and a process identifier can be transmitted to a receiving unit which can carry out error correction of the data in accordance with the identified process.

Abstract: The embodiments disclosed herein provide a mechanism for sharing protection resources in an arbitrary network topology involving pre-computing the protection resources so that data-plane-based protection can be used to activate the protection resources upon detection of a failure, thus, providing faster switching times than typical control-plane-based solutions. This is accomplished by configuring a mesh network to include, for a working path in the network, one or more protection paths with the same end nodes as the working path, where each protection path includes at least one intermediate node that is not part of the working path. The intermediate node accepts a protection request from one of the end nodes and determines whether a local resource for a protection path is available.

Abstract: Embodiments including methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for calculating frame parameters for the purpose of measuring performance in a network based on the calculated frame parameters are disclosed. By automatically or manually provisioning at least two network elements in a star or other network topology to transmit and receive service frames (e.g., Loss Measurement Messages or Loss Measurement Responses), the embodiments enable network elements to share network resources, such as frame counters, thereby decreasing the number of frame counters needed to perform frame parameter measurements and increasing scalability for a given counter resource supported by a low cost network processor units.

Abstract: To perform protection switching between tunnels in a network, Y.1731-based APS messages are often sent from a management system to nodes at the tunnels' end-points. If the management system is located near one node (local node) and far away from the other node (remote node), the APS message, which operates at the Ethernet service layer, travels to the remote node slower than traffic over the tunnels. This slower transmission time may prevent the remote node from performing a switch within a desired timeframe. The disclosed embodiments include a 1:1 bidirectional VLAN-based protection arrangement that accomplishes a 50 millisecond switching time without using Y.1731-based APS messages. The embodiments accomplish this by sending a switching command from the management system to the local node and modifying a message already traveling from the local node to the remote node to include a switching message that causes the remote node to perform the switch.

Abstract: An optical transponder, system, method, and program wherein the transponder monitors for at least one of a failure or an alarm signal. In response to detecting a failure or alarm signal (communication), the transponder performs at least one of a predetermined action and propagating an alarm communication to a network, based on a configuration property. The transponder can have a configuration property specifying a predetermined action for shutting off a laser if an alarm signal indicating a network failure is detected. As an example, some transponders can be configured to either provide an alarm communication, and/or shut off a laser, depending upon which communication interface detects a network failure or receives an alarm signal. Also, other transponders can be configured to propagate existing alarm communications, without generating new alarm communications or shutting off lasers.

Abstract: Packets used for distributing timing information over a Resilient Packet Ring (RPR) are generated by encoding Synchronization Status Messaging (SSM) messages into IEEE 802.3ah OAM packets (or any other OAM packets, such as those defined in ITU Y.1731). Information indicating the direction that each message is to be transmitted around the RPR ring is also encoded in the packets in either the spare bits of the SSM messages or in the Type-Length-Value (TLV) bytes of the IEEE 802.3ah OAM packets or Y.1731 OAM packets. RPR protection is disabled for the packets carrying the SSM messages and the packets are transmitted to adjacent network nodes in the directions specified by the information encoded in the messages. Information encoded in received packets specifying timing quality and direction of the received messages is observed and compared to determine which timing information included in the messages to use for clock timing.

Abstract: A method and corresponding apparatus allows unknown packet traffic, such as Ethernet traffic, to be carried on a Resilient Packet Ring (RPR) network without flooding the traffic on the RPR network. Modules in a station of the ring network compare a destination address in a packet traffic signal with known addresses and associate an identifier of a tunnel in the ring network with the packet traffic signal based on the comparison. The modules then associate with the packet traffic signal an identifier of a destination station in the ring network that corresponds to the identifier of the tunnel and forward the packet traffic signal to the destination station via the tunnel. By transmitting the packet traffic via tunnels instead of flooding the RPR network, spatial reuse may be implemented allowing the network to support a higher volume of traffic.

Abstract: A method and corresponding apparatus allows multiple virtual switches in a physical switch to share one physical Resilient Packet Ring (RPR) in an RPR network. Modules in the multiple virtual switches add multicast information to traffic to direct the traffic along a common path to other physical switches on the ring, and modules in the virtual switches inspect traffic to determine whether the traffic is directed to the respective virtual switch. Multiple virtual RPR subrings are made available in a single physical ring, increasing usefulness of virtual switches formerly only able to support multiple tributary connections to other networks but not able to share a single ring network communications path. Sharing a single communications path increases overall network bandwidth, and at least one implementation allows for spatial reuse.

Abstract: An optical transponder, system, method, and program wherein the transponder monitors for at least one of a failure or an alarm signal. In response to detecting a failure or alarm signal (communication), the transponder performs at least one of a predetermined action and propagating an alarm communication to a network, based on a configuration property. The transponder can have a configuration property specifying a predetermined action for shutting off a laser if an alarm signal indicating a network failure is detected. As an example, some transponders can be configured to either provide an alarm communication, and/or shut off a laser, depending upon which communication interface detects a network failure or receives an alarm signal. Also, other transponders can be configured to propagate existing alarm communications, without generating new alarm communications or shutting off lasers.

Abstract: A multi-mode transmission unit processes data to form an error correction code in accordance with one of a plurality of selectable processes. The data, correction code and a process identifier can be transmitted to a receiving unit which can carry out error correction of the data in accordance with the identified process.