Worldwide Packets, Inc.

Ciena Corporation

Dackary Ronald Busch

Kevin Q Daines

Asheesh Jadav

Eric Stewart Davison

Keith Michael Bly

Michael J Chartier

Peter Nils Boden, Jr

Loren Douglas Larsen

Kelly Donald Fromm

Cory Gordon

Scott Daniel Wilsey

Michael John Krummel Nielsen

An Ethernet packet switch configured to manage one or more packet tunnels includes one or more ports; forwarding circuitry communicatively coupled to the one or more ports; and processing circuitry communicatively coupled to the forwarding circuitry, wherein the one or more packet tunnels are configured over the one or more ports, wherein each of the one or more packet tunnels has an associated maintenance endpoint (MEP), and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to manage the one or more packet tunnels based on performance characteristics determined through one or more of the associated MEP, intermediate switches, and a Network Management System.

Packet tunnel management systems and methods

Network operating methods provide a first packet switch coupled to a second packet switch via a primary packet tunnel having an active status and one or more inactive backup packet tunnels having an inactive status. The methods access data describing at least one performance characteristic of the primary packet tunnel and, based at least on the data, deactivate the primary packet tunnel while still operational and activate one of the backup packet tunnels. Network operating methods provide a first device coupled to a second device via an active primary packet tunnel and one or more inactive backup packet tunnels, access data describing performance characteristics of the one or more backup packet tunnels, and, based at least on the data, deactivate the primary packet tunnel and activate one of the backup packet tunnels.

Deactivating a packet tunnel based on at least one performance characteristic

Methods, devices, and systems for selecting a link of a link group based on contents of a concealed header are disclosed. A network node operating method includes a first network node receiving a packet and concluding that a link group connecting the first network node to a second network node will forward the packet to the second network node. The method further includes determining that the packet includes a tunnel header and an original header concealed by the tunnel header, selecting one link from among a set of parallel links of the link group based at least on one or more fields of the concealed original header, and forwarding the packet to the second network node via the selected link.

Selecting a link of a link group based on contents of a concealed header

This document describes tools that withhold a data packet from a switch port despite its destination address. In one embodiment, the tools may receive a port description identifying a set of switch ports. The tools configure the set of ports so that data packets exchanged through the switch by interested entities that would otherwise be forwarded to uninterested entities are instead withheld from the uninterested entities. In another embodiment, the tools may configure a data-packet switch according to a port description identifying a set of ports and a subset of the set of ports. The tools receive a data packet that includes a broadcast destination address on a receive port and then determine, based on the port description, whether the receive port belongs to the subset. If the receive port does not belong to the subset the data packet is withheld from the other ports of the set.

Withholding a data packet from a switch port despite its destination address

Packet switch operating methods and packet switches receive an Ethernet packet including a customer destination address and select one of a plurality of packet tunnel identifiers based on the customer destination address. The packet switch then modifies the received Ethernet packet by adding the selected packet tunnel identifier and forwards the modified packet to a packet tunnel associated with the selected packet tunnel identifier. Other methods and packet switches receive Ethernet packets including a same service virtual local area network identifier value from a first Ethernet network and forward one of the received Ethernet packets to a second Ethernet network via a first packet tunnel and forward another of the received Ethernet packets to a third Ethernet network via a second packet tunnel. Packet tunnel networks including Ethernet provider networks and edge bridges fully connected by packet tunnels having two endpoints.

Multipoint packet forwarding using packet tunnels

Packet switch operating methods and packet switches receive an Ethernet packet from an Ethernet provider network and create a plurality of duplicates of the received Ethernet packet. The methods and switches then modify the duplicates by assign a same service instance identifier and a different packet tunnel identifier to each of the duplicates and then forward the modified duplicates to packet tunnels associated with the packet tunnel identifiers. Other methods and packet switches receive an Ethernet packet including a service instance identifier from a packet tunnel and prevent the received Ethernet packet from being forwarded to another packet tunnel associated with the service instance identifier. Packet tunnel networks including Ethernet provider networks and edge bridges fully connected by packet tunnels. The edge bridges are configured to prevent packets received from one of the tunnels from being forwarded to other tunnels.

Processing Ethernet packets associated with packet 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 use a first port of forwarding circuitry of the packet switch to receive first packets and transmit second packets. The methods and packet switches mirror the first and second packets on a second port of the forwarding circuitry, encapsulate the mirrored packets with a transport identifier, and transmit the encapsulated packets using a third port of the forwarding circuitry.

Modifying a duplicated packet and forwarding encapsulated packets

Network operating methods provide a first packet switch configured to send a plurality of packets from the first packet switch to a second packet switch via a network path traversing one or more intermediate packet switches, access data describing at least one performance characteristic of the network path, and based on the data, modify a rate at which the first packet switch sends the plurality of packets to the second packet switch via the path. Network management methods receive data describing at least one performance characteristic of a network path having a first endpoint on a first packet switch, a second endpoint on a second packet switch, the network path traversing one or more intermediate packet switches and, based on the received data, instruct the first packet switch to modify a rate at which the first packet switch sends packets to the second packet switch via the network path.

Modifying a rate based on at least one performance characteristic

Packet switch operating methods and packet switches receive a packet from a port and then forward the packet to the port from which the packet was received. The packet switch receives a packet having a first transport identifier from a port, modifies the packet to have a second transport identifier, and forwards the modified packet to the port while retaining a layer-two source address and a layer-two destination address. Other methods and packet switches transmit modified, duplicated packets on a single port. The packet switch receives a packet on a first port and creates at least one duplicate of the packet. The packet switch modifies the packet and the duplicate so that they have different transport identifiers. The packet switch then transmits the modified packets on a single port.

Forwarding a packet to a port from which the packet is received and transmitting modified, duplicated packets on a single port

This document describes tools that communicate an operational state of a transport service. The transport service provides connectivity between two or more networks, enabling the networks to exchange packets. The tools detect an operational state of a transport service. After doing so, the tools may convey the operational state of the transport service to at least one of the networks through a user-to-network interface port of a network interface device, send a message to a network interface device requesting that the network interface device convey the operational state to a network connected to the network interface device, or configure a network interface device to communicate the operational state.

Growing community of inventors

Veradale, WA, United States of America

Dackary Ronald Busch