Ciena Corporation

Nortel Networks Corporation

Neeraj Gulati

Premal Desai

Theodore Ernest Tedijanto

Biao Lu

Murtuza S Attarwala

Jeffrey T Gullicksen

Alok Khambatkone

Sivaramakrishna Kuditipudi

John Stephen Brenneman

Lei Fu

Wushao Wen

Drew Daniel Perkins

Mehul Dholakia

Paul Curtis

Rakesh Kumar Sinha

Gregory M Bernstein

Shishir Krovvidi Ramam

Sarangan Sivanesan

Ted Tedijanto

Helen Zhang

Saman A Rabie

Zafar Ali

Ling-Yue Hung

Sameh A Rabie

An embodiment of the invention provides a flexible bandwidth advertisement method that can reduce the number of routing updates that are sent in a network. In an embodiment of the invention, a method of reducing available bandwidth updates in a link in a communication system is provided. The method includes setting a range of threshold values. An actual available bandwidth in the link is then changed. If the actual available bandwidth changes from a first value within the range of threshold values to a second value within the range of threshold values, then a transmission of an available bandwidth update on the link is then prevented.

Reduced available bandwidth updates

An embodiment of the invention provides a method for glare resolution in a network. The method first designates a master node and a slave node. The method prevents the slave node from initially allocating a first line and a first timeslot for a first sub network connection (SNC) (SNCor SNCs. The master node allocates the first line and the first timeslot for the first SNC, and a second line and a second timeslot for a second SNC (SNCor SNCs).

Glare resolution

A method and system for aggregating a plurality of parallel communications links transmitting data between adjacent nodes in a network is provided. The method simplifies network topology by replacing multiple parallel communications links between nodes in the network with a single aggregated link. The method advertises the available bandwidth of each aggregated link to the network, the available bandwidth being the maximum bandwidth available for any one of the parallel links in the aggregate. The method permits each aggregated link to select which of the parallel links in the aggregate is to be used to transfer data from one node to the other. Aggregating links can be automatic and based on one or more predetermined criteria, such as the service class supported by the parallel links.

Link aggregation

An embodiment of the invention provides a method and apparatus for restoring a connection in a network. The connection is typically a sub network connection (SNC). In an embodiment, a failed line in a link connecting a first node and a second node is detected, where the failed line is associated with a sub network connection (SNC). The sub network connection (SNC) is then mapped to an alternate line in the link. The first node will change cross connections in a switch fabric in the first node, while the second node will change cross connections in a switch fabric in the second node, so that both nodes can transmit data on the selected alternate line, in order to restore the SNC.

Local span mesh restoration (LSMR)

Methods and apparatus implementing and using techniques for creating a permanent sub-network connection in a network of connected nodes. A route including a working path for a permanent sub-network connection is defined in the network from an ingress node to an egress node. A time out period to be associated with the permanent sub-network connection is defined. The time out period defines a time over which a failure in the permanent sub-network connection is permitted to be corrected prior to a tear down of the permanent sub-network connection. The route is provisioned. A route description is distributed to each node along the route and each node along the route is configured in accordance with the route description to provide data traffic services from the ingress node to the egress node. Methods and apparatus implementing and using techniques for deallocating resources in a network of connected nodes are also described.

Method and apparatus for permanent sub-network connections in a communication network

A method and system for allocating bandwidth in an optical communication system. During a set-up phase, a set-up message including requesting a connection is generated and includes a requested priority and requested bandwidth. When a switch receives the set-up message, the switch determines whether the available priority bandwidth for the requested priority exceeds the requested bandwidth. If the available priority bandwidth for the requested priority exceeds the requested bandwidth, the switch creates a provisional connectional which is committed to an actual connection in a subsequent connect phase. If the available priority bandwidth for the requested priority does not exceed the requested bandwidth, then the switch rejects the connection to provide a fast release.

Method, system and storage medium for allocating bandwidth in a communication network

1+1 Mesh Protection provides 1+1 protection for connections across an automatically routed mesh network, where a connection is setup automatically by using an intelligent signaling and routing protocol. 1+1 Mesh Protection can set up, tear down, and reroute both the working path and protect path across the mesh network automatically based on a specified service profile. 1+1 Mesh Protection interoperates seamlessly with traditional 1+1 protection mechanisms such as APS 1+1 protection in SONET networks.

1+1 Mesh protection

Lines within an aggregated link extending between network elements in a communications system are monitored for faults. Once a fault is detected on a particular line carrying a control channel, an alternative line is selected and control channel is transmitted on the alternative line. Once a control channel is received at a remote end on a new line, the control channel is reassigned to that line. In an alternative embodiment, the control channel is split into separate channels carrying routing and signaling information, respectively. The separate routing and signaling channels are carried by separate lines, but can be reassigned to other lines in response to a fault. Further, the routing information can be carried by multiple lines in an alternating pattern such as a round robin fashion.

Resiliency of control channels in a communications network

A system and method for automatically generating a topology of a network having synchronous optical network (SONET) switches. Switches in the network pass information about itself to other switches in the network so that every switch can maintain a topology of the network. Using this knowledge of the network topology, each switch can generate a communication route within the network and automatically allot bandwidth for the route. Each switch may generate a new route in response to a line failure.

Method and apparatus for rerouting an optical network upon fault

A call made with a communication device is processed using multiple call processors (CPs) operatively connected to a network. CPs use processing load information from other CPs to select which CP will handle call set up when the call is requested. A similar selection process is used for selecting one of CPs to perform other call processing functions and to terminate the call upon receiving a request to terminate the call. The CP selected to set up a call, tear-down a call or perform other call processing depends on the load associated with the processor and the load associated with setting up, tearing down performing other call processing for the call.

Method and apparatus for processing calls on a multiprocessor communication system

A system and method for automatically generating a protection route as an alternative to a working route through a network of switches prior to network failure. A switch selects the proposed protection route so that the protection route is disjoint from the working route. Next, a switch or switches determines whether bandwidth is available for the proposed protection route. If so, the protection route is set-up for activation when needed.

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Cupertino, CA, United States of America

Neeraj Gulati