A system, device, and method are provided to control dense-mode multicast traffic across a multilayer system containing an upper network and a tunnel across a lower network. An upstream multicast tunneling edge device (MTED) may indicate to downstream MTEDs, via control messages, the presence of a multicast source, group (SG) pair. The MTEDs may serve as routers or as intelligent bridges in the upper network. Each downstream MTED may create a forwarding state for the SG pair, determine tunnels for which the downstream MTED is to serve as an exit device and configure the tunnels to deliver the traffic. Lower network MTEDs of a tunnel may determine whether to transport multicast data for each SG pair such that multicast traffic routed by a corresponding MTED is carried. An MTED may be able to receive, through the tunnel, multicast traffic for one SG pair even after pruning itself for another SG pair.

Technologies are described herein for maintaining packet order in network flows over an autonomous network. A sequence number is generated for each data packet in the network flow. The data packets are transmitted from a source endpoint to a destination endpoint accompanied by the sequence number. When a data packet is received at the destination endpoint, the sequence number is utilized to determine whether the packet has arrived out-of-order. If the received data packet is out-of-order, the packet is buffered for a specific period of time, or until the next sequential packet in the network flow is received. If the next sequential packet is received within the time period, the received packet and any buffered packets are delivered in sequence number order to a program executing on the destination endpoint. If the time period expires before receiving the next sequential data packet, the buffered packet(s) are delivered to the program.

Techniques are disclosed for allocation of resources under the control of resource managers and the choice and coordination of resource acquisition protocols to communicate with these resource managers. The resource managers may be distributed and heterogeneous. For example, a technique for use by a service provider for allocating one or more resources from multiple resources associated with multiple resource managers based on at least one service agreement offer from a service client comprises the following steps/operations. At least one service agreement offer is obtained. A resource allocation is automatically determined based on the obtained service agreement offer. The automated step/operation of determining the resource allocation comprises: (i) coordinating selection of a resource acquisition protocol from among multiple resource acquisition protocols for use in communicating with the multiple resource managers to acquire one or more resources associated therewith; and (ii) evaluating a performance associated with one or more of the multiple resource acquisition protocols.

A node within a wireless endpoint device may be coupled to multiple heterogeneous networks simultaneously. The node is configured to select between the different networks based on various constraints associated with the endpoint device, applications executing on the endpoint device, traffic routed by the endpoint device, and constraints associated with the multiple networks. Based on these different constraints, and based on the current operating mode of the node, the node rates each network, and then selects the network with the highest rating to be used for routing purposes.

In one embodiment, a source transmits one or more data packets to a destination over a primary pseudowire (PW). When a device on the primary PW detects a downstream failure of the primary PW, and in response to receiving one or more data packets from a source from the failed primary PW, the device adds a loopback packet identifier to the one or more received data packets, and returns the one or more data packets with the loopback packet identifier to the source upstream on the primary PW. Accordingly, in response to receiving the data packet returned with a loopback packet identifier from the primary PW (in response to the downstream failure), the source retransmits the one or more data packets to the destination over a backup PW.

A method, system and software system is disclosed that networks a plurality of client messaging devices to one or more server devices. Each messaging device executes a client portion, and the server executes a server portion of a computer software system product stored therein. Cooperative execution of the software system product of the invention facilitates messaging services between the users, as well as the generation and continuous updating in real-time of a LIVE feed transmission that is transmitted over the network to each user actively logged into the system. The content of the LIVE feed is generated by the server and is customized for each user. When displayed by the user on the user's client messaging device, the LIVE feed information is a visual representation (updated continuously in real-time) of the communications activity of all of the user's contacts.

A method to assign a service flow classification for a client device that is performed at a network interface device includes accessing a configuration file having an interface mask, and correlating interface mask bit values with at least one port of the network interface. The network interface device associates the client device with the at least one port of the network interface device and assigns a service flow classification based on the interface mask bit values for an access request received by the network interface device from the client device. The network interface device then communicates with a virtual local area network mapping device using the service flow classification. The virtual local area network mapping device maps the service flow into a VLAN for the service flow of the client device.

A method to assign a service flow classification for a client device that is performed at a network interface device includes accessing a configuration file having an interface mask, and correlating interface mask bit values with at least one port of the network interface. The network interface device associates the client device with the at least one port of the network interface device and assigns a service flow classification based on the interface mask bit values for an access request received by the network interface device from the client device. The network interface device then communicates with a virtual local area network mapping device using the service flow classification. The virtual local area network mapping device maps the service flow into a VLAN for the service flow of the client device.

A method of sending data to a switch fabric includes assigning a destination port of an output module to a data packet based on at least one field in a first header of the data packet. A module associated with a first stage of the switch fabric is selected based on at least one field in the first header. A second header is appended to the data packet. The second header includes an identifier associated with the destination port of the output module. The data packet is sent to the module associated with the first stage. The module associated with the first stage is configured to send the data packet to a module associated with a second stage of the switch fabric based on the second header.

A method and system for selecting at a terminal at least one of a plurality of available access networks for use with a wireless application invoked at the terminal according preferences associated with the wireless application, the network service provider, the subscriber, the subscriber subscription and application content provider. The selection may be constrained by an Application Policy received from a network service provider.