An address discovery system includes supplier switch devices that are each coupled to host device(s), and a distributor switch device that is coupled to each of the supplier switch devices via a network. The distributor switch device receives, via the network from each of the supplier switch devices, host address information for each host device that is coupled to that supplier switch device, and stores that host address information in a database. Subsequently, when a supplier switch device transmits a first address discovery request to the distributor switch device for second host address information for a second host device coupled to a second supplier switch device, the distributor switch device determines that the second host address information is included in the host address information stored in the database, retrieves the second host address information, and transmits the second host address information via the network to the first supplier switch device.

One embodiment provides a system and method for managing, at a network node, a data structure indicating neighbor node address information. During operation, the system can determine, based on a media access control (MAC) address or an Internet protocol (IP) address associated with an entry in the data structure, a type of the entry, and set a timeout value for the entry based on the determined type. In response to detecting that an entry corresponding to the MAC address expires in a MAC table maintained by the network node, the system can identify an interface on the network node to which a neighbor associated with the MAC address was previously coupled and transmit a unicast neighbor-probe packet on the identified interface to determine a connection status of the neighbor.

Techniques for utilizing a cloud service to compute an end-to-end SLA-aware path using dynamic software-defined cloud interconnect (SDCI) tunnels between a user device and an access point-of-presence (POP) node and inter-POP tunnels of the SDCI. The cloud service may include a performance aware path instantiation (PAPI) component including a POP database for storing performance metrics associated with the POPs of the SDCI, an enterprise policy database for storing user specific policies, and/or a path computation component. The path computation component may compute the path, based on the user specific policies, performance metrics associated with the POP nodes, and/or real-time contextual data associated with the user device and/or destination device. The path may include a first tunnel between the user device and the most optimal access POP node of the SDCI and a second tunnel between the access POP node, through the internal POP nodes, and to the destination device.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, instantiating a virtual provider edge router (VPE) of a network operator on a layer 3 public cloud network operated by a cloud operator, establishing a virtual layer 2 bridging domain over the layer 3 public cloud network between a core network of the network operator and the VPE, wherein the virtual layer 2 bridging domain shields infrastructure addressing of the core network of the network operator, and establishing an Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP) of the network operator on top of the virtual layer 2 bridging domain for layer 2 communication between the core network of the network operator and the VPE over the layer 3 public cloud network. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, instantiating a virtual provider edge router (VPE) of a network operator on a layer 3 public cloud network operated by a cloud operator, establishing a virtual layer 2 bridging domain over the layer 3 public cloud network between a core network of the network operator and the VPE, wherein the virtual layer 2 bridging domain shields infrastructure addressing of the core network of the network operator, and establishing an Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP) of the network operator on top of the virtual layer 2 bridging domain for layer 2 communication between the core network of the network operator and the VPE over the layer 3 public cloud network. Other embodiments are disclosed.

In some embodiments a system is provided, comprising a playback device, configured to play a piece of multimedia content, stop playing the piece of multimedia content, wherein the playing of the piece of multimedia content is stopped at a first point, connect to a server, and synchronize information relating to the first point to the server; the server, configured to save the information relating to the first point in a profile associated with an individual user, connect to a recipient device, and synchronize the information relating to the first point to a recipient device; the recipient device, configured to play the piece of multimedia content, wherein playing the piece of multimedia content on the recipient device starts from a second point related to the first point at which the playing of the piece of multimedia content on the playback device is stopped.

A method for enabling secure communication. The method includes providing a first virtual network function (“VNF”) at a first network location and providing a second VNF at a second network location. A first Layer 3 virtual private network (“L3 VPN”) tunnel is constructed by the first VNF and the second VNF between the first network location and the second network location, and a first local area network (“LAN”) at the first network location and a second LAN at the second network location are connected by the first L3 VPN tunnel. Further provided is a method for establishing a secure communication environment.

A virtual network comprising virtual machines executing at a computing environment is implemented. A floating network interface is attached to a software defined networking (SDN) appliance. The floating network interface is configured to provide a connection to computing resources via a virtual network of a virtual computing environment, and the floating network interface is attachable to and detachable from the SDN appliance. The SDN appliance is configured to apply policies of the virtual computing environment to data traffic on the virtual network.

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.

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.