Multiplex communications – Pathfinding or routing – Switching a message which includes an address header
Reexamination Certificate
2007-01-09
2011-12-27
Sol, Anthony (Department: 2465)
Multiplex communications
Pathfinding or routing
Switching a message which includes an address header
C370S392000, C370S401000
Reexamination Certificate
active
08085791
ABSTRACT:
The invention is directed towards techniques for forwarding subscriber frames through a Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) aggregation network using MPLS labels. Layer two (L2) network devices, such as access nodes, of a service provider (SP) network implement MPLS functionality in the data plane, but do not implement an MPLS signaling protocol in the control plane. The L2 network devices include a pool of labels applied in the data plane of the L2 network device to output MPLS communications to the MPLS network, and a protocol that allows a layer three (L3) device to control provision of L2 functionality by the L2 device. The pool of labels is dynamically configured by the L3 device via the protocol. The access nodes distribute the subscriber labels and MPLS labels as upstream assigned labels.
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Aggarwal Rahul
Hickey Benjamin
Moisand Jerome P.
Wadhwa Sanjay
Juniper Networks, Inc.
Shumaker & Sieffert P.A.
Sol Anthony
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