Fujitsu Corporation

Fujitsu Network Communications, Inc.

Adc Broadband Access Systems, Inc.

Shantnu Sharma

Snigdho Chandra Bardalai

Edward Alton Harbin

Stephen John Unger

Mark A W Stewart

Robert H Constantin

Peter W Bretschneider

Daniel J Byron

Mashood Illikkal

Vikrant Karan

Sajin R Valoth

Michael Mercurio

A method for multicasting data packets is provided. The method includes preparing multiple point to point connections between a root node and multiple destination nodes to establish point to multipoint connections. The method also includes receiving, at an intermediate node which is operatively connected to the root node and a plurality of the destination nodes, a data packet from the root node. In addition, the method includes determining whether the received data packet is a multicast data packet and generating a plurality of the data packets by copying the received data packet if the received data packet is a multicast data packet. Furthermore, the method includes forwarding the copied data packets to a plurality of the destination nodes.

Method and system for multicasting data packets in an MPLS network

According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for multicasting data packets is provided. The method includes determining that a data packet is to be multicast from an intermediate node to a plurality of destination nodes in a branch of a point-to-multipoint MPLS connection tree. The intermediate node has a plurality of connection interfaces. The method also includes establishing only one MPLS tunnel in response to the determination. The only one MPLS tunnel is for carrying the data packet to be multicast and established between a node and the intermediate node. The method also includes connecting each destination node to the intermediate node through a particular one of the connection interfaces. The method also includes receiving the data packet from the node at the intermediate node through the only one MPLS tunnel. The method also includes forwarding the data packet to the plurality of destination nodes through the connection interfaces identified in a multicast table.

A cable modem termination system includes a data over cable service interface specification (DOCSIS) subsystem that manages a flow associated with a gate and a gate manager (GM) that manages a state of the gate. When the flow is admitted by the DOCSIS subsystem, the DOCSIS subsystem signals to the GM to transition the state of the gate to a reserved state. The GM transitions the state of the gate to the reserved state when the DOCSIS subsystem signals to the GM to transition the state of the gate to the reserved state. When the flow is activated by the DOCSIS subsystem, the DOCSIS subsystem signals to the GM to transition the state of the gate to a committed state. The GM transitions the state of the gate to the committed state when the DOCSIS subsystem signals to the GM to transition the state of the gate to the committed state.

State machine for providing dynamic quality of service in a cable network

A network device monitors the flooding of frames and obtains information to update a port's forwarding table to reduce unnecessary frame flooding. An unknown network address and a count are maintained at a first port, the unknown address being an address for which there is no information identifying another port to which unicast frames containing the address are to be forwarded, the count identifying the number of times frames containing the unknown address have been flooded from the first port to other ports. The count is incremented each time a unicast frame containing the unknown address is flooded from the first port to the other ports. When the count reaches a threshold, it is determined whether there is information at another port that identifies a specific port to which frames containing the unknown address are to be forwarded, and if so then the information is transferred to the first port, whereupon the unknown address becomes known at the first port. Subsequently, unicast frames received at the first port that contain the now known address are forwarded to only the specific port rather than being flooded.

System and method for reduced frame flooding

A highly available communications system capable of circuit reestablishment and tear-down without manual intervention. The communications system includes a plurality of nodes interconnected by a plurality of communications paths to form at least one communications network. The nodes forward control packets on the network by way of a signaling protocol employing an out-of-band control technique. At least a portion of the nodes comprises a software configuration including a topology manager and a protocol manager. The protocol manager is operative to determine whether a control path is operational and whether a data transmission channel along a corresponding data path is established. In the event the control path is not operational, the protocol manager maintains the data transmission channel along the data path so long as the channel is established. The topology manager is operative to acquire network topology data, and the protocol manager is further operative to receive the topology data, deduce network topology changes therefrom, and reestablish and tear-down communications paths interconnecting the nodes based at least in part on the deduced topology changes.

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Acton, MA, United States of America

Shantnu Sharma