A classifier network element in a service function chain system receives a classification policy and an access policy from a controller of the service function chain system. The classification policy identifies which service function path network traffic flows will traverse through the service function chain system. The access policy defines criteria for determining whether network traffic flows will be sent along a service function path of the service function chain system. The classifier network element receives an initial packet of a network traffic flow from a source endpoint directed to a destination endpoint. Responsive to a determination that the initial packet of the network traffic flow satisfies the criteria of the access policy, the classifier network element applies the access policy to the network traffic flow.

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.

Presented herein are techniques performed in a network comprising a plurality of network nodes each configured to apply one or more service functions to traffic that passes the respective network nodes in a service path. At a network node, an indication is received of a failure or degradation of one or more service functions or applications applied to traffic at the network node. Data descriptive of the failure or degradation is generated. A previous service hop network node at which a service function or application was applied to traffic in the service path is determined. The data descriptive of the failure or degradation is communicated to the previous service hop network node.

Systems and methods for clustering emergency services routing proxies are provided. The described features allow a group of ESRPs running as individual servers or a group of virtual servers, to be referenced using a single URI. In one implementation, an emergency services routing proxy device includes an emergency services routing proxy node configured to route a call to a downstream entity, the call received from an upstream entity. The device further includes a cluster manager configured to receive registration information from the emergency services routing proxy node, the registration information including a routing service identifier. The cluster manager may be further configured to identify the emergency services routing proxy node for call routing based on a comparison of an identifier included in the call with the routing service identifier.

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.

A system includes a gateway that is configured to receive a message from a source for transmission to a destination and multiple communication channels on which to transmit the message to the destination, where the communication channels include different types of communication channels. The system includes a decision engine that is operably coupled to the gateway and the communication channels. The decision engine is configured to select a first communication channel from the communication channels to route the message for transmission to the destination. The decision engine is configured to select a second communication channel from the communication channels to route the message for transmission to the destination in response to a period of time expiring without receiving an acknowledgement from the destination via the first communication channel, where the second communication channel is a different type of communication channel than the first communication channel.

The present disclosure provides a method, apparatus and machine readable medium for traffic engineering in a communications network having Quality of Service (QoS) flows and Best Effort (BE) flows. Traffic engineering in a mixed traffic scenario is a multi-objective optimization (MOO) problem having a solution which involves trade-offs between QoS performance objectives and BE performance objectives. In one embodiment of the method, jointly optimized paths and respective flow allocations for each of the QoS flows and BE flows are determined. At least one network component in the communications network are notified of the jointly optimized paths and respective flow allocations for each of the QoS flows and BE flows.

Methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture (e.g., physical storage media) to perform service specific route selection in communication networks are disclosed. Example route selection methods disclosed herein include determining respective component performance parameters for network components of a communication network based on a weighting profile associated with a first service from a plurality of different services for which traffic is to be routed in the communication network. Disclosed example route selection methods also include determining, based on the component performance parameters, respective path performance parameters for a plurality of candidate paths between two endpoints in the communication network. Disclosed example route selection methods further include selecting, based on the path performance parameters, a first one of the candidate paths to route traffic for the first service between the two endpoints.

A communication path switching apparatus in an application unit that executes a certain function of performing wireless communication with another communication apparatus, a data switching unit that forwards data for causing the application unit to execute the certain function, a control unit that makes the setting for causing the data switching unit to forward the data, and a virtual device unit that forwards the data forwarded from the data switching unit to the application unit based on the setting made by the control unit.

Disclosed is a communication network management method provided with a plurality of communication devices and a management system to transmit packets between a plurality of communication devices through a communication path established by the management system. The management system establishes a communication path for a first service necessitating a guarantee of an availability factor on the basis of a first establishment policy in which communication paths that share the same route even in a part of the communication network are consolidated. The management system establishes a communication path for a second service that does not necessitate a guarantee of an availability factor on the basis of a second establishment policy in which the routes to be used are distributed over the entire communication network. The establishment policy is changed depending on a service type.