A system and method for bandwidth management by controlling the bit rate of a signal stream in real time according to available link bandwidth. Applications include multiple-channel video data streams over a limited-bandwidth link such as a Digital Subscriber Line. A video signal is transrated at the head end to multiple streams having different bit rates, by a multirating device which sends the multiple streams over a network, along with metadata containing information about the data structure and parameters of the streams. At the network access edge, a demultirating device uses the metadata to select the stream with the highest video quality whose bit rate does not exceed the available bandwidth of the end-user's access link. This scheme provides multiple unicast signals to different end-users in place of a single multicast signal, supports multiple high-definition channels over a limited bandwidth link, and is compatible with standard encryption methods.

A method for extracting path overhead (POH) data blocks from a data stream in a 64B/66B-block communication link, the method includes receiving at a sink node a data stream in a 64B/66B-block communication link, detecting within the data stream at a PCS sublayer a micro-packet starting with an /S/ control block, including K POH data blocks, and ending with a /T/ control block, extracting the micro-packet from the data stream, and extracting the POH data blocks from the micro-packet.

A system and method for bandwidth management by controlling the bit rate of a signal stream in real time according to available link bandwidth. Applications include multiple-channel video data streams over a limited-bandwidth link such as a Digital Subscriber Line. A video signal is transrated at the head end to multiple streams having different bit rates, by a multirating device which sends the multiple streams over a network, along with metadata containing information about the data structure and parameters of the streams. At the network access edge, a demultirating device uses the metadata to select the stream with the highest video quality whose bit rate does not exceed the available bandwidth of the end-user's access link. This scheme provides multiple unicast signals to different end-users in place of a single multicast signal, supports multiple high-definition channels over a limited bandwidth link, and is compatible with standard encryption methods.

Apparatuses and methods are provided in which a CE protocol communication session is established, at a first provider edge network device (PE), for customer equipment device (CE) multi-homed to the first PE and one or more second PEs. The first PE is an owner of the CE protocol communication session. The first PE signals to the one or more second PEs an ownership message indicating that the first PE is the owner of the CE protocol communication session. The ownership message includes parameters that enable one or more second PEs to install in their respective forwarding tables a redirect policy to instruct the respective PE to forward packets of this session to the first PE via an overlay segment. The first PE receives the packets of the session via the overlay segment based on the ownership message.

A method for extracting path overhead (POH) data blocks from a data stream in a 64B/66B-block communication link, the method includes receiving at a sink node a data stream in a 64B/66B-block communication link, detecting within the data stream at a PCS sublayer a micro-packet starting with an /S/ control block, including K POH data blocks, and ending with a /T/ control block, extracting the micro-packet from the data stream, and extracting the POH data blocks from the micro-packet.

Apparatuses and methods are provided in which a CE protocol communication session is established, at a first provider edge network device (PE), for customer equipment device (CE) multi-homed to the first PE and one or more second PEs. The first PE is an owner of the CE protocol communication session. The first PE signals to the one or more second PEs an ownership message indicating that the first PE is the owner of the CE protocol communication session. The ownership message includes parameters that enable one or more second PEs to install in their respective forwarding tables a redirect policy to instruct the respective PE to forward packets of this session to the first PE via an overlay segment. The first PE receives the packets of the session via the overlay segment based on the ownership message.

A system and method for bandwidth management by controlling the bit rate of a signal stream in real time according to available link bandwidth. Applications include multiple-channel video data streams over a limited-bandwidth link such as a Digital Subscriber Line. A video signal is transrated at the head end to multiple streams having different bit rates, by a multirating device which sends the multiple streams over a network, along with metadata containing information about the data structure and parameters of the streams. At the network access edge, a demultirating device uses the metadata to select the stream with the highest video quality whose bit rate does not exceed the available bandwidth of the end-user's access link. This scheme provides multiple unicast signals to different end-users in place of a single multicast signal, supports multiple high-definition channels over a limited bandwidth link, and is compatible with standard encryption methods.

A network adapter for a metro network and a system including the network adapter for the metro network comprising a receiver configured to receive a data packet of a packet data flow at an ingress port; a memory comprising instructions; a processor coupled to the memory and the receiver, the instructions causing the processor to be configured to determine whether a hash value of the data packet matches a flow identifier (ID) in a flow table; and obtain a flow category of the data packet responsive to the hash value of the data packet matching the flow ID; and a transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to transmit the data packet to a spine switch of a plurality of spine switches using the flow category.

Apparatuses and methods are provided in which a CE protocol communication session is established, at a first provider edge network device (PE), for customer equipment device (CE) multi-homed to the first PE and one or more second PEs. The first PE is an owner of the CE protocol communication session. The first PE signals to the one or more second PEs an ownership message indicating that the first PE is the owner of the CE protocol communication session. The ownership message includes parameters that enable one or more second PEs to install in their respective forwarding tables a redirect policy to instruct the respective PE to forward packets of this session to the first PE via an overlay segment. The first PE receives the packets of the session via the overlay segment based on the ownership message.

In general, techniques are described for dynamically programming a cloud-based service exchange to enable connections from an enterprise buyer in one metropolitan area to connect to a cloud exchange in another metropolitan area. For example, a network data center includes a programmable network platform to receive an indication of a network service provider (NSP) configured to transport traffic to a customer in a second metropolitan area; provision a virtual circuit from a customer-facing port of a cloud-based services exchange point of the second metropolitan area to the NSP; receive a service request that specifies one or more cloud services provided by one or more cloud service provider networks of the first metropolitan area operated by the respective cloud service providers; and configure access to the one or more cloud services provided by one or more cloud service provider networks via the virtual circuit.