To improve the efficiency and reliability of communication, such as for control commands distribution and data collection, in a large and high density wireless control system (100), each one of a plurality of nodes in the system is assigned one out of three roles, a router node (200), a non-router node (300), or a data collector node (400). A node (200, 300, 400) in the wireless control system (100) is capable to operate according to at least one of two communication protocols. A first communication protocol is capable to support mesh or tree network with multi-hop routing, while a second communication protocol is capable to support a star network with point-to-point connection. The router nodes build up a sparse multi-hop network to guarantee the connectivity of the large-scale network. Around each router node within one-hop direct link, a local star network is built up with at least one non-router node and at least one data collector node.

To improve the efficiency and reliability of communication, such as for control commands distribution and data collection, in a large and high density wireless control system (100), each one of a plurality of nodes in the system is assigned one out of three roles, a router node (200), a non-router node (300), or a data collector node (400). A node (200, 300, 400) in the wireless control system (100) is capable to operate according to at least one of two communication protocols. A first communication protocol is capable to support mesh or tree network with multi-hop routing, while a second communication protocol is capable to support a star network with point-to-point connection. The router nodes build up a sparse multi-hop network to guarantee the connectivity of the large-scale network. Around each router node within one-hop direct link, a local star network is built up with at least one non-router node and at least one data collector node.

A method for reverse path forwarding (RPF) selection by a network device connected to a network includes receiving an advertisement message from each of a plurality of neighbor devices within the network, parsing the advertisement message to determine a color identification (ID) of each of the neighbor devices, and selecting, from among the neighbor devices, a RPF device based on the color ID of each of the neighbor devices.

A method for operation of a broadband access network of a telecommunications network includes: in a first step, a first access functionality primarily associated with a first central office point of delivery is also connected to a second central office point of delivery, and a second access functionality primarily associated with the second central office point of delivery is also connected to the first central office point of delivery; and in a second step, the cluster controller and both a first control functionality or control plane of the first central office point of delivery and a second control functionality or control plane of the second central office point of delivery control whether the first and second access functionalities are served by the first central office point of delivery or second central office point of delivery.

A method for operation of a broadband access network of a telecommunications network includes: in a first step, a first access functionality primarily associated with a first central office point of delivery is also connected to a second central office point of delivery, and a second access functionality primarily associated with the second central office point of delivery is also connected to the first central office point of delivery; and in a second step, the cluster controller and both a first control functionality or control plane of the first central office point of delivery and a second control functionality or control plane of the second central office point of delivery control whether the first and second access functionalities are served by the first central office point of delivery or second central office point of delivery.

A path selection apparatus for selecting a path when storing sensor reports from lower nodes in a packet and transmitting the packet to an upper node in a sensor tree including a plurality of nodes includes a node movement unit that selects a first node holding a child node under the first node in the sensor tree, and moves a second node under the subtree with the first node as a vertex to a position under a third node not belonging to the subtree in the sensor tree when a movement of the second node to the position under the third node decreases a total number of packets to be transmitted and received in the sensor tree.

A path selection apparatus for selecting a path when storing sensor reports from lower nodes in a packet and transmitting the packet to an upper node in a sensor tree including a plurality of nodes includes a node movement unit that selects a first node holding a child node under the first node in the sensor tree, and moves a second node under the subtree with the first node as a vertex to a position under a third node not belonging to the subtree in the sensor tree when a movement of the second node to the position under the third node decreases a total number of packets to be transmitted and received in the sensor tree.

A novel algorithm for packet classification that is based on a novel search structure for packet classification rules is provided. Addresses from all the containers are merged and maintained in a single Trie. Each entry in the Trie has additional information that can be traced back to the container from where the address originated. This information is used to keep the Trie in sync with the containers when the container definition dynamically changes.

A novel algorithm for packet classification that is based on a novel search structure for packet classification rules is provided. Addresses from all the containers are merged and maintained in a single Trie. Each entry in the Trie has additional information that can be traced back to the container from where the address originated. This information is used to keep the Trie in sync with the containers when the container definition dynamically changes.

A hierarchical wireless network is provided with a mesh backbone network portion and a switching tree network portion, The mesh backbone network portion includes first tier nodes each having at least one wireless link to another first tier node, The first tier nodes execute a link-state protocol for routing packets, The switching tree network portion includes second tier nodes each having a single wireless link to one first tier node and at least one wireless link to one third tier node, and third tier nodes each having a single wireless link to one second tier node. The second tier and the third tier nodes execute switching rules for switching packets,