Abstract: To compress a list of destination addresses (A.B.C.D, A.B.C.E, A.F.G.H) of a connectionless multicasted message, addresses (A.B.C.D, A.B.C.E) that have a common prefix (A.B.C) are replaced with a single compound address (A.B.C{D,E}). This compound address (A.B.C{D,E}) is constituted by the common prefix (A.B.C) and a list of suffixes ({D,E}) of these addresses (A.B.C.D, A.B.C.E) that have a common prefix (A.B.C). The compression technique may be applied iteratively and in addition to reducing the overhead required for multicasting, enables faster routing table look-up.

Abstract: The invention relates to a communications network (MPLS-D) with two or more network nodes (ISR1 to ISR3) each provided with a Layer 2 switching element (SW1 to SW3) and a switch controller (SC1 to SC3) for controlling the respective Layer 2 switching element (SW1 to SW3), to such a network node, to such a switch controller, and to a method of supporting shortcuts through such network nodes. The switch controller (SC1) is composed of several independent modules, namely a shortcut control module, at least one trigger module, and at least one protocol module. If respective predetermined criteria are satisfied, the at least one trigger module initiates the assignment of a shortcut, which is formed by a direct Layer 2 connection, to a Layer 3 connection.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of supporting communication between a first network node (AH1) and a second network node (ISR1) of a communications network (KN), to the communications network, to the first and second network nodes, and to a switch controller for the second network node for carrying out the method. Between the second network node (ISR1) and one or more further network nodes (ISR2, ISR3) of the communications network, information about label resources is exchanged using a label distribution protocol (LDP), whereby the establishment of shortcuts, each of which is formed by a direct Layer 2 connection assigned to a Layer 3 forwarding relationship, is made possible between the second network node (ISR1) and the further network nodes (ISR2, ISR3). The first network node (AH1) is preconfigured with a set of label resources.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an Explicit Routing Method used in a packet-based network containing a number of network-nodes, source-nodes and destination-nodes. All before mentioned network elements are interconnected by links. This method is used to route a packet-flow from a source node towards a destination node, along an explicit path through a number of these network-nodes. This method includes the step of determination of the explicit path of the packet-flow between the source-node and the destination-node. A subsequent step is the determination of the relevant intermediate network-nodes situated on the explicit path which are necessary to deviate said packet-flow from a hop-by-hop-path onto said explicit path and further adding only addresses of these relevant intermediate network-nodes to the packets of the packet-flow. A following step is forwarding the packet-flow from the source-node towards the destination-node in direction of the explicit path.

Abstract: The invention is a method that forwards a multicast packet in a connectionless multicast system from an ingress node via a router to a plurality of destinations. In the method, a relation between a value of a receiver update notification and a predefined construction set is stored by the router in a memory. The predefined construction set includes a set of next hops that includes one or more next hops being determined according to local unicast routing information for each destination of a predefined set of destinations. The method associates by the ingress node to a starting destination set the value of the receiver update notification and, including by the ingress node, the value of the receiver update notification in the multicast packet.

Abstract: A shortcut routing method is used in an Internet Protocol network over a network. This network, including a plurality of switch-routers and optionally a plurality of routers interconnected by links, is adapted to carry a point-to-multipoint connection between a sending host and a plurality of potential receiving hosts. Each of these receiving hosts is coupled to one of the plurality of routers and/or switch-routers. A first data-packet of an Internet Protocol packet-flow is broadcasted from the sending host towards all potential receiving hosts and wherein each potential receiving host of these potential receiving hosts may send, upon reception of said first data-packet, a prune-message in direction of said sending host to notify that this potential receiving host does not wish to receive this Internet Protocol packet-flow.