A method of remote monitoring and remote control of a cluster including nodes connected to a communication network of a first type, a relay node of the nodes including first and second network interfaces in accordance with first and second types of communication network respectively, the first and second types being distinct, some steps of the monitoring and control method being implemented in a remote computer linked to the relay node by a communication network of the second type, the method including receiving a packet via the first network interface; encapsulating the received data packet in a data frame in accordance with a protocol of the communication network of the second type; sending the data frame to the remote computer via the second network interface, the receiving of the data packet, the encapsulating of the data packet and the sending of the data frame being implemented in the relay node.

A Section Route (SR) information obtainment method and an SR network establishment method are described. The SR information obtainment method includes: notifying each other the SR information among the nodes in an Autonomous System (AS) domain in the SR domain via Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP); notifying and exchanging the SR information among the cross-domain nodes in the SR domain, or among the border nodes and the cross-domain nodes in the AS domain, via Multi-Protocol Border Gateway Protocol (MP-BGP).

A control apparatus connected to two or more first relay apparatuses which form a trunk with a first external relay apparatus and to a second relay apparatus(es) which is connected to at least one of the first relay apparatuses and which is arranged between a destination apparatus that performs a point-to-point communication and the first relay apparatuses. The control apparatus includes a first unit controlling the relay apparatuses; a second unit receiving a request for a configuration about a point-to-point communication, the request including endpoint information about the point-to-point communication; and a third unit determining, before the point-to-point communication occurs, a path(s) of the point-to-point communication, based on the endpoint information about the point-to-point communication and a packet allocation rule(s) of the first external relay apparatus, and setting a packet forwarding rule(s) for the point-to-point communication which uses the trunk in the relay apparatuses on the path(s).

A method and system provides improved routing efficiency for users of a data management system. The data management system includes a plurality of global traffic managers, local traffic managers, and data centers that store user data. Each data center is related to a respective global traffic manager and a respective local traffic manager. When a user submits a request to access data stored in one of the data centers, the data management system identifies a primary data center from which the user will access the user data and routes the user request data to the global traffic manager related to the primary data center.

A network switch to support flexible lookup key generation comprises a control CPU configured to run a network switch control stack. The network switch control stacks is configured to manage and control operations of a switching logic circuitry, provide a flexible key having a plurality of possible fields that constitute part of a lookup key to a table, and enable a user to dynamically select at deployment or runtime a subset of the fields in the flexible key to form the lookup key and thus define a lookup key format for the table. The switching logic circuitry provisioned and controlled by the network switch control stack is configured to maintain said table to be searched via the lookup key in a memory cluster and process a received data packet based on search result of the table using the lookup key generated from the dynamically selected fields in the flexible key.

Embodiments are directed to receiving an original packet at a service function; determining, for a reverse packet, a reverse service path identifier for a previous hop on a service function chain; determining, for the reverse packet, a service index for the reverse service path identifier; and transmitting the reverse packet to the previous hop on the service function chain.

One embodiment includes receiving a notification at a communications network node; determining a lowest cost path for implementing a next hop for the notification; determining a best alternate path for the next hop; comparing a cost of the best alternate path with a value stored in a notification header field; updating the header field value to equal the cost of the best alternate path if the cost of the best alternate path is less than the header field value; and forwarding the notification along the lowest cost path. Some embodiments include receiving a NACK at the node; comparing a cost of the best alternate path with a NACK header field value; and retransmitting the notification along the best alternate path if the NACK header field value is greater than or equal to the cost of the best alternate path.

A Fibre Channel (FC) N_Port virtualization (NPV) gateway apparatus includes an NP_Port to connect to an F_Port of an FC switch of an FC fabric, a first F_Port to connect to a host device, and a second F_Port to connect to a target device. The apparatus includes shortcut path logic to create a shortcut path between the host and target devices to permit the host and target devices to communicate with one another without the communication traversing the switch. In response to receiving communication from the host device addressed to the target device, the apparatus diverts the communication to the target device over the shortcut path in lieu of sending it to the switch. In response to receiving communication from the target device addressed to the host device, the apparatus diverts the communication to the host device over the shortcut path in lieu of sending it to the switch.

Some embodiments provide a method for a network controller that manages a flow-based managed forwarding element (MFE). The method receives multiple service rules for implementation by the MFE. Each service rule matches over a set of network addresses. At least one network address is in the set of network addresses for at least two service rules. The method groups the network addresses into non-overlapping groups of network addresses, each of which addresses that are all matched by only a same set of service rules. The method generates flow entries that match over the groups of network addresses for the MFE to use to implement the service rules.

A telecommunications switching system employing multi-protocol routing optimization which utilizes predetermined and measured parameters in accordance with a set of user priorities in determining the selection of a telecommunications path to be utilized for transmitting a data file to a remote destination. The switching system has a first memory for storing the data file to be transferred, a second memory for storing predetermined parameters such as cost data associated with each of the telecommunications paths, a third memory for storing a set of user priorities regarding the transmission of data files, and means for measuring the value of variable parameters such as file transfer speed associated with each of the telecommunications paths. Processor means are operatively associated with the second and third memories and the variable parameter measuring means for determining which of the plurality of telecommunications paths should be utilized for transferring the data file in accordance with the set of user priorities, the predetermined telecommunications path parameters, and the measured variable parameters. The switching system further comprises input means for allowing a user to change the user priorities in the third memory prior to transmitting a file.