Abstract: A network device of a communication network is configured to implement coordinated scheduling and processor rate control. In one aspect, packets are received in the network device and scheduled for processing from one or more queues of that device. An operating rate of a processor of the network device is controlled based at least in part on at least one of an arrival rate of the packets and a number of the packets stored in the one or more queues. As one example of processor rate control based on packet arrival rate, the operating rate of the processor may be controlled by accumulating a designated number of the received packets, determining an average arrival rate of the accumulated packets, and setting the operating rate of the processor based on the average arrival rate.

Abstract: A network device of a communication network is configured to implement a switch fabric that includes collector-based cell reordering functionality. In one embodiment, the switch fabric comprises a plurality of distributors, a plurality of routing elements each having inputs coupled to respective outputs of multiple ones of the distributors, and a plurality of collectors each having inputs coupled to respective outputs of multiple ones of the routing elements. At least a given one of the collectors comprises a sorting circuit configured to reorder streams of cells received from respective ones of the routing elements into a single reordered stream of cells utilizing a merge sort.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the method includes determining feasibility for a potential transmission based on a current schedule of active transmissions. The current schedule of active transmissions includes active transmissions over multiple carriers and at multiple transmission rates. The potential transmission is at a start time on a radio frequency carrier at a data transmission rate by a user terminal. A transmission duration is determined if the potential transmission is determined to be feasible. A message is sent to the user terminal. if the potential transmission is determined to be feasible. The message may direct the user terminal to receive the potential transmission on the radio frequency carrier at the data transmission rate at the start time. The current schedule is updated according to the feasibility determination.

Abstract: In one example embodiment, a method of determining a hierarchical community decomposition of a plurality of nodes includes determining one or more subsets of the plurality of nodes at at least one level of the hierarchical community decomposition, the determined one or more subsets being non-detachable and non-linkable. The method further includes forming the at least one level of the hierarchical community decomposition based on the determined one or more subsets.

Abstract: A network device of a communication network is configured to implement a switch fabric that includes collector-based cell reordering functionality. In one embodiment, the switch fabric comprises a plurality of distributors, a plurality of routing elements each having inputs coupled to respective outputs of multiple ones of the distributors, and a plurality of collectors each having inputs coupled to respective outputs of multiple ones of the routing elements. At least a given one of the collectors comprises a sorting circuit configured to reorder streams of cells received from respective ones of the routing elements into a single reordered stream of cells utilizing a merge sort.

Abstract: A network device of a communication network is configured to implement coordinated scheduling and processor rate control. In one aspect, packets are received in the network device and scheduled for processing from one or more queues of that device. An operating rate of a processor of the network device is controlled based at least in part on an optimal operating rate of the processor that is determined using a non-zero base power of the processor. For example, the operating rate of the processor may be controlled such that the processor either operates at or above the optimal operating rate, or is substantially turned off. The optimal operating rate of the processor may be selected so as to fall on a tangent line of a power-rate curve of the processor that also passes through an origin point of a coordinate system of the power-rate curve.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the method includes determining feasibility for a potential transmission based on a current schedule of active transmissions. The current schedule of active transmissions includes active transmissions over multiple carriers and at multiple transmission rates. The potential transmission is at a start time on a radio frequency carrier at a data transmission rate by a user terminal. A transmission duration is determined if the potential transmission is determined to be feasible. A message is sent to the user terminal. if the potential transmission is determined to be feasible. The message may direct the user terminal to receive the potential transmission on the radio frequency carrier at the data transmission rate at the start time. The current schedule is updated according to the feasibility determination.

Abstract: A network comprising a plurality of network devices is configured to implement scheduling for energy efficiency. In one aspect, a set of network devices interconnected in a line within a network is identified, and a common frame size is established. For each of the network devices of the line, active and inactive periods for that network device are scheduled in a corresponding frame having the common frame size, with the frames in the respective network devices of the line being time shifted relative to one another by designated offsets. For each of one or more of the active periods of each of the network devices of the line, received packets are scheduled for processing in that network device.

Abstract: A network device of a communication network is configured to implement coordinated scheduling and processor rate control. In one aspect, packets are received in the network device and scheduled for processing from one or more queues of that device. An operating rate of a processor of the network device is controlled based at least in part on an optimal operating rate of the processor that is determined using a non-zero base power of the processor. For example, the operating rate of the processor may be controlled such that the processor either operates at or above the optimal operating rate, or is substantially turned off. The optimal operating rate of the processor may be selected so as to fall on a tangent line of a power-rate curve of the processor that also passes through an origin point of a coordinate system of the power-rate curve.

Abstract: A network device of a communication network is configured to implement coordinated scheduling and processor rate control. In one aspect, packets are received in the network device and scheduled for processing from one or more queues of that device. An operating rate of a processor of the network device is controlled based at least in part on at least one of an arrival rate of the packets and a number of the packets stored in the one or more queues. As one example of processor rate control based on packet arrival rate, the operating rate of the processor may be controlled by accumulating a designated number of the received packets, determining an average arrival rate of the accumulated packets, and setting the operating rate of the processor based on the average arrival rate.

Abstract: A network comprising a plurality of network devices is configured to implement scheduling for energy efficiency. In one aspect, a set of network devices interconnected in a line within a network is identified, and a common frame size is established. For each of the network devices of the line, active and inactive periods for that network device are scheduled in a corresponding frame having the common frame size, with the frames in the respective network devices of the line being time shifted relative to one another by designated offsets. For each of one or more of the active periods of each of the network devices of the line, received packets are scheduled for processing in that network device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for scheduling the transmission of data packets over a multihop wireless backhaul network in which delay guarantees through the network may be advantageously ensured. Illustratively, a novel packet scheduling scheme is provided which is advantageously based on an existing scheduling policy for wireline networks and for which a delay guarantee (based on the delay characteristics of the existing scheduling policy) can be advantageously ensured. In one embodiment, an even-odd link activation framework is defined for a given multihop wireless backhaul network, and an associated scheduling policy based on an arbitrary existing scheduling policy for wireline networks is derived and adopted. In such a case, the derived scheduling policy, when applied to the given multihop wireless backhaul network, advantageously ensures a worst-case delay guarantee of approximately twice that of the existing scheduling policy for wireline networks.

Abstract: A method for determining a master ring for an optical communications network having nodes arranged in a plurality of interconnected ring structures. (A master ring is a ring structure which contains every node in the network exactly once, and which also respects the node ordering of every individual ring.) An efficient solution to the master ring problem is provided by advantageously limiting the enumeration process based on the consistency of the enumeration of individual rings with each other. Illustratively, an intersection graph of the network is generated; one or more of the rings is chosen and possible openings of each of these rings are enumerated; and a limited number of possible openings of one or more other (i.e., non-chosen) rings are enumerated such that the enumeration of the possible openings of the other (i.e., non-chosen) rings are consistent therewith.

Abstract: A packet routing technique which is stable for all networks in the presence of input blocking and output blocking. The packets injected within a network are examined and based on a historical perspective of those packets a determination is made on how to route individual packets throughout the network in a stable manner. In particular, in order to achieve complete network stability, individual switches within the network need to choose matchings, i.e., input to output port connections, that reflect the demand on each port-pair within the switches. Thus, if all packets are guaranteed to be in the network for at most a maximum number of time blocks, then a particular switch will have seen all the packets injected in the network at least that maximum number of blocks ago.