Alcatel Canada Inc.

Alcatel Lucent

Alcatel-lucent Canada Inc.

Newbridge Networks Corporation

David Watkinson

Jonathan L Bosloy

John C Burns

John C Fischer

Stephen C Bews

John Burns

Richard Chan

Mark Thibodeau

David Maxwell

Timothy Harris Kuhl

Craig Douglas Wigglesworth

David G Fowler

Steven William Buchko

A network element has one or more logical communication interfaces each of which has a data set defining parameters for the interface. A data storage medium stores a profile containing information for an interface, the profile having a profile identifier for identifying the profile. The data set associated with an interface includes a profile identifier for enabling the communication interface to access information in the profile by referring to the profile identifier. The profile may include information relating to neighbor discovery communications between one network element and another, and the same profile may be accessed by any number of interfaces.

Communication system and method of configuring a communication interface

The invention provides a system and method for generating and evaluating a request in a protocol from another request formed in another protocol. Therein, the request relates to a change of membership to a group and the group relates a service to a host of the service in a communication network. In particular, the method comprises receiving said request, identifying a target group from said request, identifying an associated host to said target group and generating in another protocol another request containing a reference to said target group and said associated host. The request identifies said group and does not uniquely identify said associated host. The invention provides the ability to block a request from proceeding further if it does not belong to a recognized group.

System and method for converting requests between different multicast protocols in a communication network

A method and apparatus are provided for controlling connection to a communication path in a communication network. The apparatus receives a bandwidth request and determines a value of bandwidth expansion factor from information relating to transmission of data over the communication path, which may include the type of channel, the type of connection, the sizes of packet payload and the distribution of the size of packet payload for transmission on the communication path. The actual bandwidth being requested is determined using the bandwidth expansion factor and this information is used by a connection admission controller to allow or deny the requested connection, and/or by a scheduler to control data transmission.

Method and apparatus for controlling connections in a communication network

A method is disclosed for detecting and diagnosing faults in a network. The network has a plurality of nodes through which switched virtual connections can be established. First, all attempts at establishing routes through the network are recorded. Then, the location of a failure is determined by analyzing the attempted routes.

Switched connections diagnostics in a signalling network

A system and method of translating a set of transmission parameters related to a first transmission protocol from said first transmission protocol to a second transmission protocol for a data element being sent on a connection from a first communication network utilizing the first transmission protocol to a second communication network utilizing the second transmission protocol is provided. The method includes mapping a first parameter from the set of transmission parameters to a class of service value for the connection and mapping the class of service value and a second parameter from the set of transmission parameters to another parameter for the second transmission protocol.

System and method for mapping quality of service levels between MPLS and ATM connections in a network element

A Multi-Protocol Over ATM (MPOA) network being scalable so as to allow service providers to provide internetworking services to subscribers. The MPOA network is divided into virtual private networks to provide intranet and Internet services over an ATM backbone. The internetworking management system is able to assign differentiated classes of service to the virtual private networks. This permits a service provider to offer subscribers the options of different levels of service.

Classes of service in an MPOA network

A method of re-establishing a communications connection in a network element, a network element and a switched connection communications network are provided. The communications connection is re-established after a failure occurs affecting the communications connection. The network element is a network element in a switched connection communications network over which the communications connection is provisioned in a source-to-destination bearer path. The bearer path includes a cross-connection in the first-mentioned network element. The cross-connection is associated with the communications connection prior to the failure at a time when the communications connection is provisioned. The method includes the steps of: (a) delaying release of the cross-connection following the failure and (b) during the delayed release, determining whether the cross-connection remains operable notwithstanding the failure and, if so, re-associating the operable cross-connection with the communications connection to thereby re-establish same over at least that portion of the bearer path which includes the cross-connection.

Method and apparatus for recovering from a signalling failure in a switched connection data transmission network

A method of establishing and maintaining a connection through an asynchronous cell-based network having a plurality of switching nodes, comprises setting up a first bi-directional path between source and destination endpoints through one or more switching nodes, setting up an alternate bi-directional path between the endpoints, and switching from the first path to the alternate path by first causing the destination endpoint to send cells back to the source endpoint over the alternate path while still receiving cells over the first path. When the source endpoint receives an indication that the destination endpoint has transferred to the alternate path, it sends cells from the source endpoint to the destination endpoint to complete the transfer to the alternate path.

High availability ATM virtual connections

The method of potentially recovering from a short term signalling failure in a switched connection data transmission network comprises the steps of: (a) establishing a unique, network-wide, identifier for each call; (b) incorporating the unique identifier in a call setup message transmitted to each network element in the path of the call; (c) linking the unique call identifier with each bearer channel cross-connect associated with the call; and (d) upon detection of a failure in a signalling network which affects the call, (i) actuating a timed release of the cross-connects, (ii) re-transmitting the call setup message, including the unique call identifier, to each network element involved in placing the call, (iii) re-linking the unique call identifier with the surviving cross-connects thereby reclaiming the cross-connects, and (iv) aborting the release of the cross-connects provided they have all been timely reclaimed.

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Kanata, Canada

David Watkinson