Abstract:
A method and apparatus for routing and forwarding between virtual routers is described. A method in a single network element comprises peering a first virtual router to a second virtual router, wherein the first and second virtual routers have separate address spaces and separate routing tables, distributing a set of one or more routes from the first virtual router to the second virtual router, wherein a first of the set of routes identifies the first virtual router as a next hop of the first route, said first route including a destination, and downloading to a set of one or more forwarding tables, the destination and the next hop.
Abstract:
A Raman pump module for generating pump radiation having a pump wavelength (λp) for coupling into a transmission fiber of an optical wavelength division multiplex (WDM) communication system to provide Raman amplification of WDM radiation counter propagating therethrough is disclosed. The pump module is for use in a communications system in which the WDM radiation has a transmission waveband (λs) and wherein the transmission fiber has a zero dispersion wavelength (λm) lying midway between the transmission waveband and the pump wavelength. The module comprises a Raman pump laser for generating the pump radiation and a de-correlator for de-correlating the longitudinal modes of the pump radiation before it is coupled into the transmission fiber.
Abstract:
Dynamic allocation of connections is performed in a communication network. When a new connection request is received by the network management system this request can be accepted or rejected. In case it is accepted, the connection can be set up by allocating new or reconfiguring existing connection resources. The reconfiguration options are constrained to a set of allowed reconfigurations which is a subset of the set of all possible reconfigurations of the existing connections on the network.
Abstract:
In a Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) based communications network comprising a plurality of Intermediate Systems (IS), the IS being divided between at least one IS—IS Area and at least one non-IS—IS Area, an IS—IS Area being an area within which a routeing protocol forming part of the Network Layer (Layer 3) of the Open Systems Interconnection including routeing (OSI), is provided for routeing messages between areas, a method is provided wherein static routes (Manual Adjacencies (MA) are created at IS within the IS—IS Area to point to routes to a group of one or more Network Equipments (NEs) within the non-IS—IS Area and where a failure occurs in a link to or within a group and messages from the IS—IS Area to the non-IS—IS Area are looped to the originating IS—IS Area, identification of the NEs from which messages have been looped are removed from the respective MAs allowing routeing of messages via alternative MAs.
Abstract:
A cladding plate (2) for a microwave antenna has a thickness which increases with the distance r from a point of minimum thickness (11) proportional to Formula (I) wherein ∈R is the dielectric constant of the material of the cladding plate and a is a positive constant.
Abstract:
An STM telecommunications switch comprising a plurality of parallel data switching planes and a parallel control planes, each plane having an equal number of input ports and output ports and a central switching unit to switch each input port to any output port and wherein the data is switched in octets.
Abstract:
A 1550 nm DWDM optical communications network has a 1300 nm remote node added to which a small number of channels can be added or dropped. The additional node includes dual wavelength couplers to enable 1300 nm wavelength signals to be added or dropped. The 1300 nm signals are demultiplexed using a WDM filter and connected into the transponders of the 1550 nm nodes for transportation around the node. Signals for the remote network are converted to 1300 nm signals at the 1550 nm node transponders and multiplexed onto the network to be dropped to the network node transponder.
Abstract:
An optical communications system using forward error correction (FEC) to correct errors in signals carried by the system. Optical signals on the system are dropped at nodes and converted to electrical signals by avalanche photodiodes (APDs) at the node receivers. An FEC chip operates on the electrical signal to correct errors. The error rate is used to control the APD bias voltage which affects signal noise and therefore error rate. The errors in a predetermined interval are counted and a determination made as to whether the error rate is rising with time. The bias voltage is derived from the value of a counter whose count is incremented each interval. If the error rate is rising, the counting direction is changed.
Abstract:
An apparatus for determining a best number, representing a maximum or minimum of a set of numbers, includes a first comparator 3 having a latency of at least one clock cycle to compare a current number with a current best score and to output a corresponding first comparator signal 7 and at least a second comparator 13 having a latency of at least one clock cycle to compare the current number with any other input number compared with a current best number while the current number was being processed through the apparatus and to output at least a corresponding second comparator signal 18. A combinatorial logic block 15 receives the comparator signals and outputs a corresponding signal 20 dependent thereon and on a flag signal 21 received from flagging means arranged to flag whether the current best number was updated for one or more preceding input numbers while the current number was being processed. A switch 6 outputs either the current best number, or the current number, as a new current best number, dependent upon the combinatorial logic block signal. A resultant reduction in logic steps processed in each clock cycle permits an increased clock frequency compared with the prior art.
Abstract:
A client node in a network communicates with a server system having a plurality of servers. The client has a distributor which periodically measures server activity, assesses relative loading of the servers, and adjusts the request distribution as well as the server loadings in accordance with the loading assessment.