This relates to message propagation in an opportunistic communication network. Nodes of the network each have a ranking which is compared when the nodes connect, and message is transferred from one node to the other in dependence on the relative values of their respective rankings. The ranking is dependent on a plurality of parameters. One parameter is a social parameter determined by the social contacts of a user associate with a node, for example determined from the contact directory of that person either locally or from a central database such that located on a Face book servicer. Another parameter is the number of physical connections established by a node. The ranking values of connecting nodes is updated when they connect. By combining both parameters, a more efficient forwarding path for messages is obtained.

Methods and techniques for flooding packets on a per-virtual-network basis are described. Some embodiments provide a method (e.g., a switch) which determines an internal virtual network identifier based on one or more fields in a packet's header. Next, the method performs a forwarding lookup operation based on the internal virtual network identifier. If the forwarding lookup operation succeeds, the method can process and forward the packet accordingly. However, if the forwarding lookup operation fails, the method can determine a set of egress ports based on the internal virtual network identifier. Next, for each egress port in the set of egress ports, the method can flood the packet if a virtual network identifier in the packet's header is associated with the egress port. Flooding packets on a per-virtual-network basis can substantially reduce the amount of resources required to flood the packet when a forwarding lookup operation fails.

There are provided measures for traffic flow mobility with a single host connection. Such measures exemplarily comprise the definition of a first binding between a set of home addresses of a host and an address of a first interface of a mobile access gateway to a local mobility anchor, the definition of at least one second binding between the same set of home addresses of the host and an address of at least one second interface of the mobile access gateway to the local mobility anchor, and the recording of a mapping between any one of the first and second bindings and traffic flows between the host and the local mobility anchor via a host connection to the mobile access gateway.

A method, apparatus and computer program product for providing a best route selection rule is presented. A determination is made at a first edge router, whether a second edge router in a network advertises a first BMAC address and at least one other BMAC address When the second edge router advertises only a first BMAC address, then the first BMAC address is used in a routing table for a Layer 3 (L3) next hop for a route. When the second edge router advertises more than one BMAC address, at least one other BMAC address is used in the routing table for said L3 next hop for the route.

An overlay network is contemplated. The overlay network may be characterized as supporting, or at least virtually supporting, separate networks over a common infrastructure. The common infrastructure may be comprised of a plurality of routers or other devices configured to facilitate directing messages according to various addressing requirements. The use of the separate networks may be dictated according to the particular addressing requirements of each message desired for transport.

A network controller and a method for automatically define forwarding rules to configure a computer networking device, The network controller (100) is connected to a sub-network (A) of a communication network and comprises: a controller manager (101) that receives a request for a given service, defines forwarding rules related to said service and installs the defined forwarding rules into a computer networking device (120a) in order to configure it for said given service; a deciding module (102) configured to communicate with the controller manager (101) and configured to interact with a DNS server (150) to receive a determined resolution for a DNS request of said request for said given service, and with a database (300) to retrieve information supplementary for the DNS request, in order to assist the controller manager (101) in performing the defining of the forwarding rules; and a plurality of interfaces (S.sub.A, S.sub.B, S.sub.D) for allowing the communication between the different elements.

A method, apparatus and computer readable medium for reducing traffic loss when bringing up a switch within a multi chassis switch cluster without using dedicated intra cluster links is presented. A first network device in a cluster discovers at least one path to a second network device in the cluster, wherein the cluster utilizes at least one virtual IST between the first network device and the second network device. The first network device starts an Inter Switch Trunk (IST) synchronization process with the second network device. The first network device installs redirection rules, wherein the redirection rules are used for datapath traffic and are not used for control channel traffic. The first network device determines that the IST synchronization process between the first network device and the second network device has completed, and removes the redirection rules.

Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method of offline traffic matrix aware segment routing. The method may include receiving a traffic matrix based upon all the traffic between nodes i and j that is routed in the network; and determining the amount of traffic between nodes i and j will be routed through node k, based on minimizing a maximum link utilization for the traffic matrix by determining that the total amount of flow on a link e in the network is less than the link's capacity.

According to one aspect of the teachings herein, a method and apparatus predict a departure time of transmit data transmitted from a first network entity to a second network entity, determine a timing difference between a detected departure time and the predicted departure time of the transmit data that is was based on an estimated path delay of data transmission circuitry, and indicate the timing difference in further transmit data, e.g., to improve synchronization at the second network entity. In one or more embodiments, the timing difference is further used to compensate one or more timing operations at the first network entity, such as adapting one or more prediction parameters used by a departure-time prediction process.

Diversity receiver front end system with flexible antenna routing. A receiving system can include a plurality of amplifiers. Each one of the plurality of amplifiers can be disposed along a corresponding one of a plurality of paths between an input of the receiving system and an output of the receiving system. Each one of the plurality of paths can correspond to a different frequency band. The receiving system can include an input multiplexer configured to receive, at one or more of a plurality of input multiplexer inputs, one or more RF signals. Each one of the one or more RF signals can include one or more frequency bands. The input multiplexer can be configured to output each of the one or more RF signals to one or more of a plurality of input multiplexer outputs. The receiving system can include a controller configured to receive an antenna configuration signal and, based on the antenna configuration signal, control the input multiplexer to route each of the one or more RF signals to propagate along one or more of the plurality of paths corresponding to the one of more frequency bands of the RF signal.