An interconnect as a switch module (“ICAS” module) comprising n port groups, each port group comprising n-1 interfaces, and an interconnecting network implementing a full mesh topology where each port group comprising a plurality of interfaces each connects an interface of one of the other port groups, respectively. The ICAS module may be optically or electrically implemented. According to the embodiments, the ICAS module may be used to construct a stackable switching device and a multi-unit switching device, to replace a data center fabric switch, and to build a new, high-efficient, and cost-effective data center.

Technologies for switching network traffic include a network switch. The network switch includes one or more processors and communication circuitry coupled to the one or more processors. The communication circuity is capable of switching network traffic of multiple link layer protocols. Additionally, the network switch includes one or more memory devices storing instructions that, when executed, cause the network switch to receive, with the communication circuitry through an optical connection, network traffic to be forwarded, and determine a link layer protocol of the received network traffic. The instructions additionally cause the network switch to forward the network traffic as a function of the determined link layer protocol. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Systems and assemblies for providing both cellular and passive optical local area network (POLAN) data signals along a single, shared fiber optic backbone within an in-building network architecture are provided herein. Systems include a headend unit that combines data signals from a cellular network and optical line terminal (OLT) onto the fiber optic backbone, which is then connected to a series of daisy-chained fiber optic assembly units. An example fiber optic assembly unit includes an asymmetric coupler that splits an input fiber optic signal from the fiber optic backbone into an output fiber optic signal and a throughput fiber optic signal that is fed back onto the continuing fiber optic backbone. The output fiber optic signal is filtered into dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) channels for providing data signals to a wireless or cellular network and further split into multiple passive optical network (PON) outputs for a local area network (LAN).

Digital information can be carried on the fiber leg of an access network using binary modulation. Binary modulated data received at an O/E node can then be modulated onto an analog waveform using quadrature amplitude modulation or some other technique for modulating an analog waveform and transmitted over, for example, the coaxial leg of the network. The O/E node may also receive an analog signal, over the coaxial leg, modulated to carry upstream data from subscriber devices. The O/E node may demodulate the upstream signal to recover the upstream data and forward that upstream data over the fiber leg using a binary modulated optical signal.

Digital information can be carried on the fiber leg of an access network using binary modulation. Binary modulated data received at an O/E node can then be modulated onto an analog waveform using quadrature amplitude modulation or some other technique for modulating an analog waveform and transmitted over, for example, the coaxial leg of the network. The O/E node may also receive an analog signal, over the coaxial leg, modulated to carry upstream data from subscriber devices. The O/E node may demodulate the upstream signal to recover the upstream data and forward that upstream data over the fiber leg using a binary modulated optical signal.

Disclosed are an apparatus and testing methods for performing testing operations over multiple types of links and through multiple potential points of failure to segment sources of problems, which may relate to reported or actual instances of service disruption in a network communication environment. The apparatus may perform service layer testing directly via an optical link, in addition to via Ethernet service layer testing. The apparatus may further conduct tests on other layers as well, including the physical layer, the network layer, and the link layer. To facilitate efficient testing, the apparatus may integrate programmable workflow profiles that specify tests to be conducted, and may interface with a cloud platform for sharing results of the tests, providing end-to-end testing of various components and types of links (whether optical or electrical, including wired and wireless links). Results of the tests may provide guidance to resolve detected problems.

A digital mobile fronthaul (MFH) network includes a baseband processing unit (BBU) having a digitization interface configured to digitize, using delta-sigma digitization, at least one wireless service for at least one radio access technology. The network further includes a transport medium in operable communication with the BBU. The transport medium is configured to transmit a delta-sigma digitized wireless service from the BBU. The network further includes a remote radio head (RRH) configured to operably receive the delta-sigma digitized wireless service from the BBU over the transport medium.

Provided are a virtualization method and apparatus. The virtualization method applied to a main control board includes that: a resource of a line card board is allocated to a slice of a virtualization system of the main control board, wherein the slice includes: a management slice and/or an ordinary slice; and cross-board communication between the virtualization system of the main control board and a virtualization system of the line card board is implemented by means of communication between the management slice of the main control board and a management slice of the line card board.

Disclosed are apparatuses and testing methods for emulating an Optical Network Terminal (ONT) device for communicating or otherwise working with an Optical Line Terminal (OLT) device that was configured to operate with the ONT device. Such emulation may include configuring various settings of the apparatus so that the apparatus may appear to the OLT to be the ONT device. For example, the emulation may include accessing and using authentication/authorization related settings and network configuration settings of the ONT, thus permitting the apparatus to connect to a Passive Optical Network and test services and the quality of service experience without having to reconfigure the OLT.

An optical and electronic integrated switch includes a network processor that controls the functions of the packet switch, a plurality of optical transceivers having photoelectric conversion functions, and a plurality of optical switches. The optical switches include different types of optical core switch and a plurality of optical-path selection switches. The optical transceivers provided near the processor have a regenerative relay function that regenerates optical signals and turns back the optical signals, and perform optical communication with a communication counterpart via the optical switches. In the optical communication, optical switches of the different types can cooperate to set paths for optical cut-through in which path selection is performed such that inputted optical signals are outputted without the intervention of the processor. This optical cut-through can be effectively performed without imposing a signal processing burden that consumes electric power on the processor.