METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR ADAPTIVELY DETECTING SIGNAL DEGRADATION IN AN OPTICAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM USING THE PRE-FORWARD ERROR CORRECTION BIT ERROR RATE
Granted: July 16, 2020
Application Number:
20200228200
In some embodiments, an apparatus comprises a memory and a processor operatively coupled to the memory. The processor is configured to receive, from a forward error correction (FEC) decoder of an optical transponder, a first plurality of pre-FEC bit error rate (BER) values at a plurality of times to identify a degradation over a first transmission path. The processor is configured to determine, based on the first plurality of pre-FEC BER values, a signal pattern. The processor is…
METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR FLOW CONTROL ASSOCIATED WITH A SWITCH FABRIC
Granted: June 18, 2020
Application Number:
20200195587
In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a flow control module configured to receive a first data packet from an output queue of a stage of a multi-stage switch at a first rate when an available capacity of the output queue crosses a first threshold. The flow control module is configured to receive a second data packet from the output queue of the stage of the multi-stage switch at a second rate when the available capacity of the output queue crosses a second threshold. The flow…
METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING AND COMPENSATING BANDWIDTH LIMITATION AND MODULATION NONLINEARITY OF A COHERENT OPTICAL TRANSPONDER
Granted: May 7, 2020
Application Number:
20200145112
In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a memory and a processor operatively coupled to the memory. The processor is configured to send a stimulus signal at a frequency that corresponds to a first frequency value to a tributary channel of a coherent optical transponder. The processor is configured to adjust an amplitude of the stimulus signal and receive a first plurality of output optical power values. The processor is configured to adjust the frequency of the stimulus signal and…
METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR TRACKING DATA FLOW BASED ON FLOW STATE VALUES
Granted: April 23, 2020
Application Number:
20200127912
In one embodiment, a processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to update, at a memory location, a first flow state value associated with a data flow to a second flow state value when at least one of a packet from the data flow is received or the memory location is selected after a time period has expired. At least a portion of the packet is analyzed when the second flow state value represents a flow rate of a…
OPTIMIZED MULTICAST FORWARDING WITH A CACHE
Granted: April 16, 2020
Application Number:
20200120013
The techniques describe forwarding multicast traffic using a multi-level cache in a network device forwarding plane for determining a set of outgoing interfaces of the network device on which to forward the multicast traffic. For example, a multi-level cache is configured to store a multicast identifier of a multicast packet and multicast forwarding information associated with the multicast identifier, such as identification of one or more egress packet processors of the network device…
METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR IMPROVING THE SKEW TOLERANCE OF A COHERENT OPTICAL TRANSPONDER IN AN OPTICAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
Granted: April 16, 2020
Application Number:
20200119831
In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a memory and a processor operatively coupled to the memory. The processor is configured to be operatively coupled to a first optical transponder and a second optical transponder. The processor is configured to receive, from the second optical transponder, a signal representing a skew value of an optical signal and a signal representing a bit-error-rate (BER) value of the optical signal. The skew value is associated with a skew between an…
METHODS AND APPARATUS RELATED TO VIRTUALIZATION OF DATA CENTER RESOURCES
Granted: April 9, 2020
Application Number:
20200112524
In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a switch core that has a multi-stage switch fabric. A first set of peripheral processing devices coupled to the multi-stage switch fabric by a set of connections that have a protocol. Each peripheral processing device from the first set of peripheral processing devices is a storage node that has virtualized resources. The virtualized resources of the first set of peripheral processing devices collectively define a virtual storage resource…
OPTICAL PROTECTION SWITCH WITH BROADCAST MULTI-DIRECTIONAL CAPABILITY
Granted: March 12, 2020
Application Number:
20200083976
An apparatus includes a first reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) to receive a first optical signal and a second ROADM to receive a second optical signal. The apparatus also includes a reconfigurable optical switch that includes a first switch, switchable between a first state and a second state, to transmit the first optical signal at the first state and block the first optical signal at the second state. The reconfigurable optical switch also includes a second switch,…
METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR ADAPTIVELY DETECTING SIGNAL DEGRADATION IN AN OPTICAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM USING THE PRE-FORWARD ERROR CORRECTION BIT ERROR RATE
Granted: January 16, 2020
Application Number:
20200021358
In some embodiments, an apparatus comprises a memory and a processor operatively coupled to the memory. The processor is configured to receive, from a forward error correction (FEC) decoder of an optical transponder, a first plurality of pre-FEC bit error rate (BER) values at a plurality of times to identify a degradation over a first transmission path. The processor is configured to determine, based on the first plurality of pre-FEC BER values, a signal pattern. The processor is…
METHODS AND APPARATUS RELATED TO A FLEXIBLE DATA CENTER SECURITY ARCHITECTURE
Granted: January 9, 2020
Application Number:
20200014637
In one embodiment, edge devices can be configured to be coupled to a multi-stage switch fabric and peripheral processing devices. The edge devices and the multi-stage switch fabric can collectively define a single logical entity. A first edge device from the edge devices can be configured to be coupled to a first peripheral processing device from the peripheral processing devices. The second edge device from the edge devices can be configured to be coupled to a second peripheral…
METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING AND COMPENSATING BANDWIDTH LIMITATION AND MODULATION NONLINEARITY OF A COHERENT OPTICAL TRANSPONDER
Granted: December 19, 2019
Application Number:
20190386750
In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a memory and a processor operatively coupled to the memory. The processor is configured to send a stimulus signal at a frequency that corresponds to a first frequency value to a tributary channel of a coherent optical transponder. The processor is configured to adjust an amplitude of the stimulus signal and receive a first plurality of output optical power values. The processor is configured to adjust the frequency of the stimulus signal and…
METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR IMPROVING THE SKEW TOLERANCE OF A COHERENT OPTICAL TRANSPONDER IN AN OPTICAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
Granted: November 7, 2019
Application Number:
20190342028
In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a memory and a processor operatively coupled to the memory. The processor is configured to be operatively coupled to a first optical transponder and a second optical transponder. The processor is configured to receive, from the second optical transponder, a signal representing a skew value of an optical signal and a signal representing a bit-error-rate (BER) value of the optical signal. The skew value is associated with a skew between an…
METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR LOW-LOSS RECONFIGURABLE OPTICAL QUADRATURE AMPLITUDE MODULATION (QAM) SIGNAL GENERATION
Granted: October 10, 2019
Application Number:
20190312647
In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) optical modulator which includes a first phase modulator (PM), a second PM, a tunable optical coupler (TOC), and an optical combiner (OC). The TOC is configured to split a light wave at an adjustable power splitting ratio to produce a first split light wave and a second split light wave. The first PM is configured to modulate the first split light wave in response to a first multi-level electrical signal…
METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR A COLORLESS DIRECTIONLESS AND SUPER-CHANNEL CONTENTIONLESS (CDSC) OPTICAL NETWORK ARCHITECTURE
Granted: October 3, 2019
Application Number:
20190306595
In some embodiments, a system includes a super-channel multiplexer (SCM) and an optical cross connect (OXC) switch. The SCM is configured to multiplex a set of optical signals into a super-channel optical signal with a wavelength band. The OXC switch is configured to be operatively coupled to the SCM and a reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM) degree. The OXC switch is configured to be located between the SCM and the ROADM degree and the OXC switch, the SCM, and the ROADM…
METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING A SIGNAL DEGRADATION USING THE PRE-FORWARD ERROR CORRECTION BIT ERROR RATE AT AN OPTICAL TRANSPONDER
Granted: August 22, 2019
Application Number:
20190260684
In some embodiments, an apparatus comprises an optical transponder which includes a processor, an electrical interface and an optical interface. The processor is operatively coupled to the electrical interface and the optical interface. The optical interface is configured to be operatively coupled to a plurality of optical links and the electrical interface is configured to be operatively coupled to a router such that the optical transponder is configured to be operatively coupled…
METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR CONSISTENCY CHECK IN DISAGGREGATED DENSE WAVELENGTH-DIVISION MULTIPLEXING (DWDM) SYSTEMS
Granted: August 15, 2019
Application Number:
20190253774
An apparatus includes a first communication interface configured to be communicatively coupled, via an optical line, to a network device that is disposed in an optical network using wavelength division multiplexing (WDM). The apparatus also includes a second communication interface configured to be communicatively coupled to a router via an Ethernet connection. The apparatus also includes a signal generator operatively coupled to the first communication interface and the second…
NODE REPRESENTATIONS OF PACKET FORWARDING PATH ELEMENTS
Granted: July 18, 2019
Application Number:
20190222504
In one example, a method comprises receiving, by a forwarding manager for an internal forwarding path executed by at least one packet processor of a forwarding unit of a network device, one or more packet processing operations from a control unit of the network device; generating, by the forwarding manager based on the one or more packet processing operations, a plurality of nodes each comprising a unique token, wherein a first node of the plurality of nodes includes a token reference…
METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR A COLORLESS DIRECTIONLESS AND SUPER-CHANNEL CONTENTIONLESS (CDSC) OPTICAL NETWORK ARCHITECTURE
Granted: June 20, 2019
Application Number:
20190191232
In some embodiments, a system includes a super-channel multiplexer (SCM) and an optical cross connect (OXC) switch. The SCM is configured to multiplex a set of optical signals into a super-channel optical signal with a wavelength band. The OXC switch is configured to be operatively coupled to the SCM and a reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM) degree. The OXC switch is configured to be located between the SCM and the ROADM degree and the OXC switch, the SCM, and the ROADM…
SCALABLE POLICY MANAGEMENT FOR VIRTUAL NETWORKS
Granted: May 23, 2019
Application Number:
20190158541
Techniques are disclosed for implementing scalable policies across a plurality of categories that support application workloads. In one example, a policy controller assigns to the plurality of categories tags specifying one or more of a plurality of dimensions. The policy controller distributes a plurality of policies to policy agents for the plurality of categories. Each policy includes one or more policy rules, and each policy rule includes one or more tags specifying one or more of…
METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR LOGICAL ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN ROUTERS AND OPTICAL NODES WITHIN A WAVELENGTH DIVISION MULTIPLEXING (WDM) SYSTEM
Granted: May 9, 2019
Application Number:
20190140760
An apparatus includes a memory and a processor operatively coupled to the memory. The processor is configured to partition a set of ports of an optical multiplexer into a set of port groups including a first port group having a first set of ports and a second port group having a second set of ports mutually exclusive from the first set of ports. The processor is configured to associate the first port group with a first router and associate the second port group with a second router. When…
