Juniper Networks, Inc.

3com Corporation

Azimuth Systems, Inc.

John Ernest Ziegler

Cristina Radulescu-Banu

Carl John Lindeborg

Subrat Pani

James Scott Hiscock

Fanny Mlinarsky

Normand Louis Magnan

Charles R Wright

John Gibbons

Andrzej Szyszko

Frank A Itkowsky

Cary B Robins

Shirish B Dandekar

Jeremy Spilman

Nadeem Mohammad

Hanzhong Hu

Nagaraj S Turaiyur

Raymond Cronin

Richard P Pagliaro

Adrian Orozco

Keith Louis Petry

Mark David Moreau

Anthony Lanza

Balaji Rani

In some implementations, a network device may receive an indication of a switchover for a subscriber group that contains subsets of subscriber sessions. The network device may transition each subset of the subscriber sessions to a state associated with traffic forwarding. The network device may selectively transition each subset of the subscriber sessions from the state associated with the traffic forwarding to a state associated with traffic services.

State transitions for redundancy groups

In some implementations, a redundant DBNG user plane device may maintain respective subscriber states of a plurality of primary DBNG user plane devices. The redundant DBNG user plane device may determine, based on maintaining the respective subscriber states of the plurality of primary DBNG user plane devices, that a particular primary DBNG user plane device, of the plurality of primary DBNG user plane devices, is not active. The redundant DBNG user plane device may identify, based on determining that the particular primary DBNG user plane device is not active, a subscriber state of the particular primary DBNG user plane device. The redundant DBNG user plane device may operate, using the subscriber state of the particular primary DBNG user plane device, as an active DBNG user plane device for traffic associated with the particular primary DBNG user plane device.

Distributed broadband network gateway stateful N+1 hot-redundancy

A disaggregated broadband network gateway (DBNG) control plane system may be configured to receive a first initialization packet associated with a user device via a first user plane and a second initialization packet associated with the user device via a second user plane. The DBNG control plane system may be configured to determine, based on at least one of the first initialization packet or the second initialization packet, one or more load balancing parameters. The DBNG control plane system may be configured to cause, based on at least one of the one or more load balancing parameters, a communication session for the user device to be established via the first user plane and not via the second user plane.

User plane load balancing in a disaggregated broadband network gateway architecture

A network device may assign subscriber groups to logical ports of the network device, and may generate a load balanced group that includes the logical ports assigned to the subscriber groups. The network device may provide a backup logical port for the load balanced group, and may maintain the backup logical port in an oversubscribed state or a full state. The network device may identify a subscriber group failure for one of the subscriber groups, and may switch the one of the subscriber groups to the backup logical port based on the subscriber group failure.

Load balancing and ensuring availability for network subscriber groups

A disaggregated broadband network gateway (DBNG) control plane system may receive an association setup request message from a DBNG user plane device, wherein the association setup request message is received via a state control interface between the DBNG control plane system and the DBNG user plane device. The DBNG control plane system may determine, based on the association setup request message, one or more capabilities of the DBNG user plane device and may thereby cause one or more additional state control interfaces to be established between the DBNG control plane system and the DBNG user plane device. The DBNG control plane system and the DBNG control plane system may communicate messages associated with a first message type via the state control interface and may communicate messages associated with a second message type via at least one of the one or more additional state control interfaces.

Multiple state control interfaces between a control plane and a user plane in a disaggregated broadband network gateway architecture

In some implementations, a network device may identify a triggering event associated with a logical port. The logical port may be associated with a subscriber group that is associated with a user plane subscriber access device. The network device may assign, based at least in part on the triggering event, a logical port administrative state to the logical port.

Logical port administrative states

In some implementations, a network device may obtain a switchover indication associated with a switchover of a group of subscriber sessions from a first user plane subscriber access device to a second user plane subscriber access device. The network device may provide, to the first user plane subscriber access device or the second user plane subscriber access device, an indication to provide, to an internet protocol (IP) address allocation entity for which the network device serves as a relay, an indication to prioritize a path from the IP address allocation entity to the second user plane subscriber access device over a path from the IP address allocation entity to the first user plane subscriber access device.

Path prioritization for internet protocol address allocation entity

In general, techniques are described herein for implementing priority channels by prioritizing and communicating control packets on an interface between a disaggregated Broadband Network Gateway control plane and the disaggregated Broadband Network Gateway user plane. In some examples, a method includes assigning, by a disaggregated broadband network gateway (DBNG) user plane device, a control packet for a control protocol to an assigned priority channel of a plurality of priority channels within a common tunnel for a shared interface with a DBNG control plane system, the DBNG user plane device physically separate from the DBNG control plane system; and sending the control packet to the DBNG control plane system using the assigned priority channel.

Priority channels for distributed broadband network gateway control packets

Time-varying conditions in a wireless network are simulated using an architecture that includes an enclosure for shielding a wireless device under test ('DUT') from electro-magnetic interference, including other wireless devices; and at least one of: (1) a communications traffic generating device operable to generate communications traffic having selected characteristics; and (2) at least one dynamically adjustable attenuator in communication with the wireless device and the traffic generator. Embodiments of the architecture include wireless test equipment for testing operating range, roaming and capacity. The attenuator is used to adjustably attenuate signals between the device and the traffic generator over time during a test, whereby motion of the device is simulated. By connecting multiple access points, each associated with a dynamically adjustable attenuator, it is possible to force the DUT to roam between access points. The communications traffic generating device can be used to vary traffic over time during a test in order to test capacity, prioritization and admission control. For example, the communications traffic generator may include phone and data client emulators which simulate different traffic types that can be independently varied over time during a test.

Simulating time-varying conditions in a wireless network

Test equipment operable to evaluate handoff in wireless networks can be configured as an infrastructure test system or a client mobility test system. The infrastructure test system includes a plurality of client emulating devices and a client motion emulator for testing real access points. Each client emulating device is operable to emulate multiple individual virtual mobile devices ('virtual mobile devices'). The client motion emulator computes a mathematical representation of the modeled network and motion of virtual mobile devices in that network. The client motion emulator employs the mathematical representation to calculate path loss between virtual mobile devices and the real access points in the modeled network. The calculated path loss information is transmitted to the virtual mobile devices. Path loss of communications from a virtual mobile device to an access point is implemented via a programmable attenuator.

Evaluation of handoff in wireless networks using emulation

A system and method are disclosed for detecting and preventing bridge loops in a relatively low cost bridge module designed for installation in a network hub. The bridge operates to monitor an intra-hub communication path of the network hub to detect bridge protocol data units transmitted by a switching fabric within the network hub. The bridge module stores a MAC source address of a bridge protocol data unit detected on the intra-hub communications path, and forwards the bridge protocol data unit through its external communication ports to respective network segments. The bridge module monitors its external communication ports for any data unit having a destination address matching a bridge multicast address. When a data unit having a destination address matching the bridge multicast address is detected, the bridge module compares the MAC source address of that data unit to the previously stored MAC source address from the bridge protocol data unit detected on the intra-hub communication path. In the event that the MAC source address of the data unit detected on the external communication port matches the previously stored MAC source address, the bridge module disables operation of the respective one of its external communication ports at which the data unit was received. In one embodiment of the disclosed system, the bridge module further monitors its external communications ports for routing protocol messages. In the event that a routing protocol message is detected on one of those external communications ports, the bridge module disables that port.

Intelligent network topology and configuration verification using a method of loop detection

A main data memory is provided in a network device and includes a plurality of buffers for storing data packets. A plurality of descriptors, or pointers, point to the individual buffers. A status of the descriptors is stored in a descriptor reference memory. The status information includes whether the descriptors are in an active or free state, and an indication of copies of the descriptors in the transmit queues. A descriptor free pool includes a list of the descriptors in the free state.

Method and apparatus for detecting duplicate buffers in a descriptor based multi-port queue

Method and apparatus to detect lost buffers with a descriptor based queue

A computer network system containing a concentrator with a backplane that has a plurality of lines. The backplane contains data lines and control lines for managing and organizing the transfer of data between modules in the concentrator. The system contains an intelligent bus arbiter system that allow the selection of transmitting modules to occur at the same time as actual data transfer is going on between other modules. The bus arbitration system is provided for determining a sequence of bus access. A memory is provided for building a table comprising entries. Each of the entries represents a module slot identification number. Each entry also has an entry link portion which links a given entry to another entry. The system also includes arbiter logic cycling through or sequencing through and reading the table from one entry to another entry based on the entry link portion. The arbiter logic forms an output of a current slot identification number, corresponding to the module which is to have access to the bus. With this system, the number of entries having a particular module slot identification number relative to the total number of entries in the table determines a proportion of access to the bus of the module having the particular module slot identification number thereby allowing updating to the table to change access to the bus more readily.

Growing community of inventors

Westborough, MA, United States of America

John Ernest Ziegler