Ciena Corporation

Worldwide Packets, Inc.

Asheesh Jadav

Marc Holness

Kelly Donald Fromm

Jie Hu

Cory Gordon

Madhavi Raghavendra Joshi

Keith Michael Bly

Dackary Ronald Busch

Wei-Chiuan Chen

Srinivasa Tadimeti

Kevin Q Daines

Somen Bhattacharya

Mradula Neginhal

Venkata Satya Mahesh Jetti

Sri Siri Vineela Kukkadapu

Systems and methods with dynamic Connectivity Fault Management (CFM) and Continuity Check Messages (CCMs) that enable dynamic configurations to avoid limitations associated with static reconfigurations. Variously, a network, a method, and a network element are configured to implement a dynamic CFM method for dynamic notifications and actions taken based thereon between Maintenance End Points (MEPs). The systems and methods may also include a CCM attribute adjustment method between two MEPs, a CCM suspension and/or resumption method between two MEPs, and a MEP auto-discovery and leaving method. Advantageously, the systems and methods may be utilized in a variety of contexts including controlled maintenance, in-service software upgrades, network congestion, discovery of new remote MEPs, and the like to enable dynamic configurations between MEPs. The systems and methods may also apply to Carrier Ethernet, Multiprotocol Label Switching-Transport Profile (MPLS-TP), and the like.

Systems and methods for dynamic operations, administration, and management

Ethernet fault management systems and methods using programmable Type-Length-Value (TLV) offsets combine software-based Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) protocol support with hardware-based fault management support to delegate generation and processing of OAM protocol messages to hardware devices with the software-based protocol support used to program hardware based on fixed offsets in the OAM protocol messages. The hardware can be designed to be flexible since the hardware can be agnostic to the logic within the OAM protocol which would reside in the software. The Ethernet fault management systems and methods combine the flexibility of software-based approaches with the speed and efficiency of hardware-based approaches.

Ethernet fault management systems and methods

Systems and methods for L2 Ethernet resilient hand-off include an access network configured between a first end point and a second end point, a first communication path and a second communication path for data flow between the first end point and the second end point, wherein the first communication path is active and the second communication path is inactive, and if a fault is detected in the first communication path, logic configured to activate the second communication path and perform a resilient hand-off of the data flow from the first communication path to the second communication path.

Resilient dual-homed data network hand-off

A packet network linear protection method, a network, and a node in a dual or multi-home configuration include designating each of a plurality of home nodes in the dual or multi-home configuration as a working home or a protect home; designating each link between each of the plurality of home nodes and an end node in the dual or multi-home configuration as active or standby; operating a protection switch state machine based on an associated linear protection protocol at each of the plurality of home nodes and the end node; communicating protection messages to each of the plurality of home nodes from the end node; and communicating protection states in an associated protection switch state machine by each of the plurality of home nodes to other home nodes and to the end node.

Packet network linear protection systems and methods in a dual home or multi-home configuration

The disclosure is directed to configuring an internetworking of a first network and a second network. Data representing one or more network events is received at a network element, data representing one or more actions to be performed by the second network in response to detection of the one or more events on the first network is received at the network element, and a mapping of the one or more network events to the one or more actions is stored by the network element.

Network technology interworking via user programmable event-action profiles

Systems and methods for LEthernet resilient hand-off include an access network configured between a first end point and a second end point, a first communication path and a second communication path for data flow between the first end point and the second end point, wherein the first communication path is active and the second communication path is inactive, and if a fault is detected in the first communication path, logic configured to activate the second communication path and perform a resilient hand-off of the data flow from the first communication path to the second communication path.

Packet switch operating methods and packet switches assign a packet to a virtual interface. The virtual interface is associated with a plurality of tunnels. One of the plurality is designated a primary tunnel configured to accept packets. Other tunnels of the plurality are designated as backup tunnels and are configured to reject packets. The methods and packet switches also determine which of the plurality of tunnels is the primary tunnel and determine a packet switch port associated with the primary tunnel. The methods and packet switches egress the packet via the primary tunnel on the packet switch port associated with the primary tunnel.

Processing packets of a virtual interface associated with tunnels

Packet switch operating methods and packet switches receive, at a packet switch, a control packet from another packet switch. The packet switch and the other packet switch are coupled together by two or more tunnels. The control packet indicates that a particular one of the tunnels is active on the other packet switch. In response, the packet switch operating methods and packet switches activate the particular tunnel indicated by the received control packet on the packet switch.

Activating a tunnel upon receiving a control packet

Packet switch operating methods and packet switches forward a first packet to a first packet switch via an active primary tunnel terminating on the first packet switch. The primary tunnel is associated with an inactive backup tunnel terminating on a different second packet switch. The methods and packet switches also deactivate the primary tunnel, activate the backup tunnel, and forward a second packet to the second packet switch via the activated backup tunnel. Network operating methods relay a first packet to a first one of a plurality of destination packet switches via two or more different tunnels in a first combination. The methods and packets switches also deactivate one of the tunnels of the first combination without deactivating any other tunnel of the first combination and relay a second packet to a second one of the packet switches via two or more different tunnels in a second combination.

Associated tunnels terminating on different packet switches and relaying packets via different tunnel combinations

Packet switch operating methods and packet switches detect, at a packet switch, a change in a first tunnel's ability to relay packets between the packet switch and another packet switch and, in response, send a control packet to the other packet switch. The control packet indicates a particular one of the tunnels is active on the packet switch. The packet switches are coupled together by the first tunnel and a second tunnel. A packet switch network includes a first packet switch and a second packet switch both configured to recognize disagreement regarding which one of a first tunnel and a second tunnel is active and which one is inactive in response to receiving control packets from each other and resolve the disagreement so that a particular one of the first tunnel and the second tunnel is active according to both the first packet switch and the second packet switch.

Activating tunnels using control packets

Packet switch operating methods and packet switches provision a plurality of tunnels on a packet switch by associating each of the plurality of tunnels with a packet switch port and by configuring the packet switch to modify packets relayed by the tunnel to include a transport identifier associated with the tunnel. The tunnels of the plurality relay packets when permitted by a tunnel index. The plurality of tunnels and the tunnel index are associated with a virtual interface. The methods and packet switches also permit a first tunnel of the plurality of tunnels to relay packets by configuring the tunnel index to indicate the first tunnel. The tunnel index indicates only one tunnel. The methods and packet switches also enable a second tunnel of the plurality of tunnels to relay packets by configuring the tunnel index to indicate the second tunnel, thereby preventing the first tunnel from relaying packets.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Asheesh Jadav