An apparatus is provided for control of a plurality of forwarding switches using a network controller. The network controller executes a routing configuration application that analyzes interconnections between the forwarding switches to identify a topology of the network, determine label switched paths (LSPs) between the forwarding switches, and transmits the next hop routes to the forwarding switches. The forwarding switches use the next hop routes to route packets through the network according to a multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) protocol. Each LSP includes one or more next hop routes defining a forwarding address associated with one forwarding switch to an adjacent forwarding switch.

Statically configured secure tunnels forward application-level Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) application data between servers using a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) channel. Applications operating on a server cluster can communicate with other applications on another server in the cluster over the public Internet using secure TCP connection forwarding through a single UDP datagram-oriented communication channel.

A first network device includes a processor configured to analyze a data stream entering a network on which the first network device is located to obtain a traffic characteristic of a target data stream, and advertise a Flow Specification (FlowSpec) route, where the FlowSpec route carries redirect indication information, the redirect indication information includes identification information, the identification information is used to uniquely identify a first virtual private network (VPN) instance in a second network device, the redirect indication information instructing to redirect the data stream including the traffic characteristic of the target data stream to the first VPN instance, the second network device is an edge device of a service provider network accessed by the network, and the first VPN instance is a target VPN instance to which the target data stream is redirected in the second network device.

In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method for using multiple IP addresses in GRE IP headers to prevent IPID fragmentation overlapping in L2VPN networks is disclosed. In an embodiment, the method comprises: receiving, by an edge service gateway, a packet that requires fragmentating; determining whether the gateway is configured to prevent IPID fragmentation overlapping; and in response to determining that the gateway is configured to prevent IPID fragmentation overlapping, creating a plurality of packet fragments of the packet. A packet fragment comprises a GRE IP header, additional headers, and a portion of the packet. The GRE IP header stores an IPID generated for the packet in an IPID field, a source private IP address in a source IP address field, and a destination private IP address in a destination IP address field. The source private IP address, the destination private IP address and the IPID collectively form a packet identifier of the packet.

Systems and methods for performing User Plane (UP) path selection or reselection over a communications network with a 3.sup.rd party entity, and for notifying network entities of UP changes in a communications network, are disclosed. The method includes: receiving an application program interface based request for UP path selection from the 3.sup.rd party entity; performing a validation and authorization procedure with the request; transmitting a UP path selection configuration request to a Control Plane Function that maintains configuration data; obtaining a reference number confirming the UP path selection configuration request; and installing the UP path selection according to the reference number.

In one embodiment, a plurality of PODs is formed in a software defined networking (SDN) fabric, each POD comprising a plurality of leaf nodes and connected to a plurality of spine nodes in a spine layer of the SDN fabric. One of the plurality of PODs is designated as a super POD and link state information is provided for the entire fabric to the super POD by sending northbound advertisements in the fabric to the super POD. A disconnection is identified between a leaf node in the SDN fabric and a particular one of the spine nodes in the spine layer, based on the link state information provided to the super POD. The disconnection is repaired between the leaf node and the particular spine node in the spine layer.

A method for establishing a tunnel between VTEPs includes receiving at an SDN controller a tunnel creation request to establish a VxLAN tunnel from a first VTEP to a second VTEP, determining a VxLAN tunnel of network nodes coupling the first VTEP to the second VTEP, assigning a SvcPI to the VxLAN tunnel, and sending a tunnel initiation command to the first VTEP, the tunnel initiation command causing the first VTEP to convert an Ethernet frame to a path-ID frame by adding an NSH encapsulation header and to forward the path-ID frame to the next network node in the VxLAN tunnel.

A method for using a common control plane to control a plurality of access networks includes (1) supporting a first communication link of a first access network using a control plane of the first access network, and (2) supporting a second communication link of a second access network using the control plane of the first access network. A communication system includes the first access network and the second access network.

In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method for using multiple IP addresses in GRE IP headers to prevent IPID fragmentation overlapping in L2VPN networks is disclosed. In an embodiment, the method comprises: receiving, by an edge service gateway, a packet that requires fragmentating; determining whether the gateway is configured to prevent IPID fragmentation overlapping; and in response to determining that the gateway is configured to prevent IPID fragmentation overlapping, creating a plurality of packet fragments of the packet. A packet fragment comprises a GRE IP header, additional headers, and a portion of the packet. The GRE IP header stores an IPID generated for the packet in an IPID field, a source private IP address in a source IP address field, and a destination private IP address in a destination IP address field. The source private IP address, the destination private IP address and the IPID collectively form a packet identifier of the packet.

A distributed radio frequency communication system facilitates communication between a wireless terminal and a core network. The system includes a remote radio unit (RRU) coupled to at least one antenna to communicate with the wireless terminal. The RRU includes electronic circuitry to perform at least a first portion of a first-level protocol of a radio access network (RAN) for communicating between the wireless terminal and the core network. The system also includes a baseband unit (BBU) coupled to the core network, and configured to perform at least a second-level protocol of the RAN. A fronthaul link is coupled to the BBU and the RRU. The fronthaul link utilizes an adaptive fronthaul protocol for communication between the BBU and the RRU. The adaptive fronthaul protocol has provisions for adapting to conditions of the fronthaul link and radio network by changing the way data is communicated over the fronthaul link.