Nortel Networks Corporation

Ciena Corporation

Rockstar Bidco, LP

Andre N Fredette

Naganand Doraswamy

Anoop Ghanwani

Loa Andersson

Paul Callahan

William R Hawe

Bruce A Schofield

Indermohan S Monga

James V Luciani

Shantigram V Jagannath

Stephen Suryaputra

Christopher James White

Bill Hawe

A computer network has a plurality of routers that deliver data packets to the network via a plurality of links. At least one router provides automatic protection switching in the event of a link failure. The at least one router includes a plurality of data interfaces for streams of data packets to enter and exit the at least one router; and a backup controller. The backup controller includes a backup path manager, a link monitor, and a backup packet processor. For at least one link of the routing node, the backup path manager identifies a backup routing path for forwarding affected data packets in the event of a failure of the at least one link. The link monitor monitors the plurality of links to determine when a link fails. When a link which has a backup routing path fails, the backup packet processor attaches backup routing path instructions to affected data packets routed over the failed link, and forwards the affected data packets via the backup routing path.

Automatic protection switching using link-level redundancy supporting multi-protocol label switching

A system, device, and method for managing communication services in an optical communication system utilizes a optical service agent (OSA) that operates within the domain of the network user and manages various communication services on behalf of the network user. The OSA interacts with the optical communication network to obtain various communication services and manages those communication services for the network user based upon predetermined parameters defined by the network user. An authenticated auto-discovery mechanism is used to automatically identify and authenticate OSA-enabled users and to distribute information between peer OSA-enabled users. A peer-to-peer signaling mechanism is used to extend OSA functionality to OSA-enabled users that do not interface directly with the optical communication network.

System, device, and method for managing communication services in an optical communication system

A system, device, and method for supporting virtual private networks in a label switched communication network utilizes an extended Next Hop Resolution Protocol in order to establish a label switched path for a particular virtual private network. Specifically, label information and a corresponding virtual private network identifier are carried in certain Next Hop Resolution Protocol messages. A label request and a corresponding virtual private network identifier is carried in Next Hop Resolution Protocol Resolution Request messages that are forwarded hop-by-hop by a number of devices along a forward path. Label mapping information and a corresponding virtual private network identifier are carried in Next Hop Resolution Protocol reply messages that are forwarded hop-by-hop by the devices in the forward path. In various embodiments of the invention, the label information and the corresponding virtual private network identifier may be carried in a type-length-value field, and the Next Hop Resolution Protocol reply messages may be Next Hop Resolution Protocol Resolution Reply messages or novel Next Hop Resolution Protocol Label Mapping messages.

System, device, and method for supporting virtual private networks in a label switched communication network

A method and apparatus for directing messages through a network wherein multiple tables for directing messages through the network are maintained and provided. Each table corresponds to a virtual private network and contains routing information specific to that virtual private network. A separate routing table is maintained for each VPN. In one embodiment the messages are forwarded using plain IP forwarding using a route table associated with the VPN. In another embodiment separate forwarding tables using labels are generated for each virtual private network. The messages are forwarded by looking up the label in the table corresponding to the VPN In a third embodiment, a single forwarding table is utilized where the table is built based on separate routing tables for each virtual private network.

Method and apparatus for virtual overlay networks

A system, device, and method for establishing label switched paths across multiple autonomous systems involves establishing a label switched path in each autonomous system, and, at each shared border device, linking an incoming label switched path in an incoming autonomous system to an outgoing label switched path in an outgoing autonomous system. The Label Distribution Protocol is preferably used to establish the label switched path between border devices in each autonomous system. Each border device maps a label associated with the incoming label switched path to a label associated with the outgoing label switched path. When a border device receives a protocol message including the label associated with the incoming label switched device, the border device replaces the label in the protocol message with the label associated with the outgoing label switched path, and forwards the protocol message to the downstream neighboring (next hop) device in the outgoing autonomous system.

System, device, and method for establishing label switched paths across multiple autonomous systems

A method and apparatus for stream aggregation in a multiprotocol label switching network environment. According to one embodiment, the method comprises receiving a label assignment request that includes an identification of a path followed by the label assignment request through the network and determining whether the path has been used by any of a plurality of previous label assignment requests. A new label is assigned for the path if the path has not been used by any of the plurality of previous label assignment requests. Otherwise, a previously assigned label is assigned.

Growing community of inventors

Groton, MA, United States of America

Andre N Fredette