Ciena Corporation

Worldwide Packets, Inc.

David Gilson

Sami Boutros

Muthurajah Sivabalan

Marc Holness

Stephen Daniel Shew

Jie Hu

Michael J Chartier

Kyle Gosselin-Harris

Andrew Patrick Schultz

Keith Michael Bly

Kelly Donald Fromm

Tao Wang

Raghuraman Ranganathan

Dennis Lee Weaver

Bruce T Jorgens

Jennifer Anne Smith

Padma Sanampudi

Martin Pepin

A Provider Edge (PE) node is configured to provide a Layer 2 Virtual Private Local Area Network (LAN) service (VPLS) having a simplified control plane. The PE node includes circuitry configured to receive a packet from a second PE node in the network, wherein the packet includes (1) a Destination Media Access Control (MAC) address associated with a destination Customer Edge (CE) node, (2) a source MAC address associated with a source CE node, and (3) a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) Identifier used to represent one of the second PE node and a multihome configuration including the second PE node, and learn the source MAC address associated with the source CE node as being reachable via the one of the second PE node and the multihome configuration.

Simplification of layer 2 VPLS control plane

Systems and methods include, responsive to a request to test or troubleshoot a software system including a plurality of sub-components that communicate with one another via Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), creating one or more gadgets that one or more of inject data in any sub-component and probes responses from any sub-component; performing one or more tests of one of more of the plurality of sub-components utilizing the one or more gadgets to invoke specific behavior of the software system and to collect internal data to examine correctness of the behavior; and subsequent to the one or more tests, removing the one or more gadgets. The one or more gadgets are non-intrusive and do not alter behavior of the plurality of sub-components.

Lightweight software probe and inject gadgets for system software validation

A Provider Edge (PE) node includes a plurality of ports including an inter-chassis port to a second PE node, a port connected to a root node, and one or more ports connected to leaf nodes, wherein the plurality of ports are in an Ethernet Tree (E-Tree), and wherein the root node is dual-homed to the PE node and the second PE node; switching circuitry configured to switch traffic between the plurality of ports; and circuitry configured to designate the inter-chassis port as one of a leaf node and a root node in the E-Tree instance, and manage a designation of the inter-chassis port based on a status of the port connected to the root node. The designation is changed in a data plane instead of in a control plane.

Fast convergence of E-Tree with a dual homed root node

A method for resource management includes receiving, from a client, an allocation request for a resource, and assigning, to the client, a partition of a hierarchical resource tree. The partition is in multiple partitions of the hierarchical resource tree. The method further includes identifying a deallocated resource in the partition, and allocating, to the client, the first deallocated resource from the partition to create an allocated resource.

Hierarchical resource tree allocation

Systems and methods for ring protection switching in a network based on selectively blocking and unblocking a port include forwarding traffic via the port over a data channel that utilizes a first service identifier, wherein the data channel is routed in the network along a closed loop; and selectively blocking and unblocking traffic on the port to provide the ring protection switching over the closed loop, wherein the selectively blocking and unblocking is performed based on a management channel that utilizes a second service identifier that is a different type from the first service identifier.

Generalized service protection systems and methods

A method for processing ternary content-addressable memory (TCAM) data. The method may include transmitting a search query to a TCAM device. The TCAM device may store a plurality of TCAM entries. The method may further include obtaining a first matched entry and a second matched entry from the plurality of TCAM entries. The method may further include obtaining, from software precedence data, a first precedence value for the first matched entry and a second precedence value for the second matched entry. The method may further include comparing, using a priority criterion, the first precedence value for the first matched entry with the second precedence value for the second matched entry to select a resultant entry. The priority criterion may determine a precedence order that a computing device uses the plurality of TCAM entries. The method may further include processing, using the computing device, the resultant entry.

Software precedence in ternary content-addressable memory (TCAM)

A node includes a first port configured to be selectively blocked and unblocked; a second port configured to be selectively blocked and unblocked; a forwarder between the first port and the second port; a management channel between the first port and the second port, wherein the selective blocking and unblocking of the first port and the second port is based on the management channel; and a data channel between the first port and the second port, wherein the data channel utilizes an arbitrary service identifier. A method can include operating a ring with Ring Protection Switching comprising a forwarding mechanism and a blocking mechanism that are independent and decoupled entities therebetween, wherein the ring includes a management channel and a data channel that each utilize an arbitrary service identifier.

Managing resources in a multi-level switch assembly system, includes a resource tree with the multiple hierarchical levels, wherein a first level device is associated with a first level, one or more second and third level devices are associated with lower, second and third levels respectively, and so on. Cost tokens are assigned to the various devices based on their corresponding resource requirements. Resources of the multi-level switch assembly system, such as, ports and/or bandwidth, are dynamically allocated to the first, second, third level devices, and so on, based on their corresponding cost tokens in a hierarchical manner.

Hierarchical resource management for switch assembly systems

An Ethernet Tree (E-Tree) service is described instantiated on an Ethernet switch and in an Ethernet network. The E-Tree service is implemented using Private Forwarding Groups (PFGs), asymmetric Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs), virtual switches, and port configurations. The use of PFGs in addition to asymmetric VLANs provides higher levels of security in the described E-Tree systems and methods. The E-Tree systems and methods also can utilize Access Control Lists (ACLs) at Network-Network Interfaces (NNIs) for controlling unknown unicasts from reaching wrong ports. The E-Tree systems and methods can also seamlessly interoperate with packet switches using an IEEE 802.1Q-2011 approach.

Systems and methods for constrained forwarding based packet network connectivity

Packet switch operating methods and packet switches, using primary control circuitry of the packet switch, receive a request to perform a transaction. In response to the receiving the request, the primary control circuitry forwards the request to backup control circuitry of the packet switch. Subsequent to forwarding the request, the primary control circuitry performs the transaction by modifying a plurality of first data objects stored in a memory of the primary control circuitry. The packet switch operating methods and packet switches, using the primary control circuitry, inform the backup control circuitry that the primary control circuitry has performed the transaction and, in response to the informing, the backup control circuitry performs the transaction by modifying a plurality of second data objects stored in a memory of the backup control circuitry. The first data objects correspond to the second data objects.

Transaction-based coordination of data object modification for primary and backup control circuitry

Packet switch operating methods and packet switches receive a plurality of packets using a forwarding plane of the packet switch. Each packet of the plurality conforms to a different one of a plurality of forwarding information formats. The methods and packet switches modify each packet of the plurality to conform to a common forwarding information format instead of a respective one of the plurality of forwarding information formats and forward the modified packets of the plurality to a control plane of the packet switch.

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Honolulu, HI, United States of America

David Gilson