A user module for connecting an external communication network to a user network of a building may include: a box-shaped body; a plurality of adapters configured to associate to respective optical fiber units of at least one optical cable of the user network; and/or patch panel, between upper and lower walls of the box-shaped body, configured to receive the plurality of adapters and configured to define adjacent compartments within the user module. The patch panel may be housed in the box-shaped body. The patch panel may be configured to move between a rest position, at which the patch panel is completely housed within the box-shaped body, and a connecting position, at which the patch panel is at least partially extracted from the box-shaped body.

A flow of packets is communicated through a data center including an electrical switch, an optical switch, and multiple racks each including multiple network devices. The optical switch can be controlled to receive packet traffic from a network device via a first optical link and to output that packet traffic to another network device via a second optical link. One network device includes a neural network that analyzes received packets of the flow. The optical switch is controlled to switch based on a result of the analysis performed. In one instance, the optical switch is controlled such that immediately prior to the switching no packet traffic passes from the first optical link and through the optical switch and to the second optical link but such that after the switching packet traffic does pass from the first optical link and through the optical switch and to the second optical link.

Embodiments may be generally direct to apparatuses, systems, method, and techniques to determine a configuration for a plurality of connectors, the configuration to associate a first interconnect protocol with a first subset of the plurality of connectors and a second interconnect protocol with a second subset of the plurality of connectors, the first interconnect protocol and the second interconnect protocol are different interconnect protocols and each comprising one of a serial link protocol, a coherent link protocol, and an accelerator link protocol, cause processing of data for communication via the first subset of the plurality of connectors in accordance with the first interconnect protocol, and cause processing of data for communication via the second subset of the plurality of connector in accordance with the second interconnect protocol.

A data communication system for transmitting packets over one or more optical fibers includes a transponder with a number of digital signal processors that transmit data packets on different optical channels. The transponder includes a switch that receives a data packet on an input and selects one of the digital signal processors to transmit the packet based on quality metrics for the different optical channels and/or information included in an OSI header for the data packet.

An optical network unit (ONU) is installed to communicate with an optical line terminal (OLT) located at a remote terminal (RT). The ONU includes a first subscriber downlink interface to serve a first subscriber premises and a second subscriber downlink interface to serve a second subscriber premises. The RT is located apart from a central office (CO) and in communication with the CO. A first removably attachable subscriber downlink module is communicatively coupled to the first subscriber downlink interface. A second removably attachable subscriber downlink module is communicatively coupled to the second subscriber downlink interface. The first removably attachable subscriber downlink module is replaced with a third removably attachable subscriber downlink module. An optical transmission medium is connected between the third removably attachable subscriber downlink module and the first subscriber premises while retaining a second electrically conductive medium communicatively coupled to the second subscriber downlink interface.

A mini-optical line termination (OLT) includes at least one management card for providing control and management functions. A plurality of network cards having a predetermined number of ports are configured to support a predetermined number of subscribers by providing a gigabit passive optical network to the subscribers. At least one network device is coupled to an upstream device and the plurality of network cards. The at least one network device is configured to control the forwarding of data between the upstream device and the subscribers.

An optical line terminal (OLT) detects content distribution conditions in terminals, and performs control for performing switching to distribution to each terminal using an individual virtual local area network (VLAN) or distribution to a plurality of terminals by broadcasting using a broadcasting VLAN, in accordance with the detected content distribution conditions. The OLT detects that the number of viewers of a predetermined channel exceeds a predetermined threshold value or is less than the predetermined threshold value, as the content distribution conditions. Further, the OLT performs switching to distribution using a broadcasting VLAN in a case where it is detected that the number of viewers of the predetermined channel exceeds the predetermined threshold value, and performs switching to distribution using an individual VLAN in a case where it is detected that the number of viewers of the predetermined channel is less than the predetermined threshold value.

Services are transmittable via a transport network by using container(s), wherein each container is adapted to transmit data with a specific bandwidth and is multiplexable, according to a dynamic multiplexing structure, to at least another container adapted to transmit data with a higher bandwidth. The network management system selects a container being adapted to transmit data with a first bandwidth out of the number of containers, determines all containers of the number of containers being adapted to transmit data with a bandwidth lower than the first bandwidth, and defines all possible termination points for each determined container. All possible termination points are defined before a service to be transmitted is selected by a user. A number of the possible termination points for each determined container is selected based on a selection scheme in order to provide the selected number of the possible termination points to the user.

A method for a plurality of nodes in a free space optical communications network comprises using a bent pipe channel to relay data between at least some of the nodes of the network; and using a pilot channel for pointing, acquisition and tracking to continuously maintain line-of-sight between all of the nodes even when the bent pipe channel is not active.

A device may obtain first information related to a digital service that may identify a digital path. The digital path may include digital nodes and optical links, of an optical network, to provide the digital service. The device may determine second information based on the first information. The second information may describe a relationship between one or more digital services and one or more digital paths. The device may provide a graphical representation, via a user interface, of the one or more digital paths. The device may provide the second information in relation to the graphical representation. The device may detect a user interaction with the graphical representation. The user interaction may relate to one or more of the digital services and/or one or more of the digital paths. The device may cause the digital nodes and/or the optical links to be configured.