Adtran Gmbh

Richard Paul King

Andrew T Ruble

Jacqueline M Zoucha

Joseph Lee Boyd

Josh Matthew Horton

Roger Loh

A system for handling address resolution protocol (ARP) messages has a plurality of communication modules for communicating via a network. Each such communication module has a separate link layer address (e.g., MAC address). Control logic in communication with each of the modules serves as an ARP proxy for the modules. Rather than using its own link layer address in the overhead of the ARP messages, the control logic uses the link layer addresses of the communication modules, thereby causing the network to learn these link layer addresses during ARP processing. Therefore, once ARP messaging between a communication module and a remote network device has been performed, the network has established a data path between the communication module and the remote network device, thereby helping to prevent or reduce message flooding when the two devices begin to communicate.

Systems and methods for handling ARP messages in modular network devices

The present disclosure generally pertains to network systems and methods that efficiently drop packets carried by virtual circuits. In one exemplary embodiment, a packet network has at least a first node having a first port that is coupled directly to a second port of a second node. A virtual circuit is established such that a virtual connection exists between the two ports. The first node communicates with the second node to determine whether the second node is provisioned such that the second port is a member of the virtual circuit. If the second node is not provisioned such that the second port is a member of the virtual circuit, then the first node drops the data packets that (1) are carried by the virtual circuit and (2) are to be forwarded to the first port, as indicated by virtual circuit (VC) mapping data in the first node. Thus, the dropped packets are prevented from usurping capacity that otherwise could be used to transmit other packets between the two nodes.

Network systems and methods for efficiently dropping packets carried by virtual circuits

A communication system comprises a plurality of subscriber lines that are bonded to provide a bonding group, referred to as the 'primary bonding group.' A data stream comprising a plurality of data packets is transmitted to a port, referred to as the 'primary port,' of a network termination unit (NTU) coupled to each subscriber line of the primary bonding group, and a bonding engine of the NTU fragments the data packets for transmission across the bonding group. Logic, referred to as &#x201c;link state awareness (LSA) logic,&#x201d; is configured to monitor at least one communication parameter indicative of the communication performance of the bonding group. If the measured communication performance is within a specified range, the LSA logic disables the primary port. Such action signals a switching element to switch communication to another NTU that is coupled to one or more other subscriber lines for backing up the primary bonding group. Thus, communication is switched to a backup channel based on the measured performance parameter before a complete failure of the primary bonding group occurs.

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Madison, AL, United States of America

Richard Paul King