Chris R Noel

US Patent:

6760339, Jul 6, 2004

Filed:

Jun 16, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/596055

Inventors:

Chris R. Noel - Acton MA
Terrence S. Pearson - Hollis NH
Joe Whitehouse - Charlestown MA
Corey Simons - Waltham MA
Brian Branscomb - Hopkinton MA

Assignee:

Equipe Communications Corporation - Acton MA

International Classification:

H04L 1228

US Classification:

370401, 370469, 361788, 709249, 710132

Abstract:

The present invention provides a high switching capacity network device in one telco rack including both physical layer switch/router subsystems and an upper layer switch/router subsystem. Instead of providing a single physical layer switch/router subsystem, multiple physical layer switch/router subsystems are provided. Segmenting the physical layer switch/router into multiple, for example, four, subsystems better utilizes routing resources by allowing etches for the physical layer subsystems to be moved away from the center of the mid-plane/back-plane of the network device. Moving the physical layer subsystem etches away from the center of the mid-plane enables the network device to include an upper layer/switch router subsystem with etches toward the center of the mid-plane. Providing a multi-layer network device in one telco rack allows for intelligent layer 1 switching (for example, dynamic network connection set up), allows for one network management system to run both layer 1 and upper layer networks and eliminates grooming fees. Compared with separate layer 1 and upper layer network devices or a multi-layer network device occupying multiple telco racks, a single network device saves valuable telco site space and reduces expenses by sharing overhead such as the chassis, power and cooling.

US Patent:

7039046, May 2, 2006

Filed:

Jul 11, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/613940

Inventors:

Corey Simons - Waltham MA, US
Brian Branscomb - Hopkinton MA, US
Colin Bell - Acton MA, US
Chris R. Noel - Acton MA, US
Larry B. Manor - Londonderry NH, US
Peter B. Everdell - Littleton MA, US

Assignee:

Ciena Corporation - Linthicum MD

International Classification:

H04L 12/50

US Classification:

370388, 370389, 370218, 370503

Abstract:

The present invention reduces the cost of a minimally configured network device by providing a network device with a distributed switch fabric. Such a network device locates a portion of the switch fabric functionality on each forwarding card allowing the minimal network device configuration to include less than the entire switch fabric functionality. The cost of the minimal configuration is, therefore, reduced allowing network service providers to more quickly recover the initial cost of the network device. As new services are requested, additional functionality, including both forwarding cards and universal port cards may be added to the network device to handle the new requests, and the fees for the new services may be applied to the cost of the additional functionality. Consequently, the cost of the network device more closely tracks the service fees received by network providers.

US Patent:

7054272, May 30, 2006

Filed:

Jul 14, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/616477

Inventors:

Chris R Noel - Acton MA, US
Corey Simons - Waltham MA, US
Joseph D Kidder - Arlington MA, US
Nicholas A Langrind - Carlisle MA, US
Brian Branscomb - Hopkinton MA, US
Jonathan D Madsen - Arlington MA, US

Assignee:

CIENA Corporation - Linthicum MD

International Classification:

H04J 1/16

US Classification:

370241, 370390, 370465

Abstract:

The present invention provides an upper layer network device with one or more physical layer data test ports. The data supplied to the test ports reflects the data received by the network device with minimal modification and no upper layer translation or processing, and supplying the data to the test ports does not impact or disrupt the service provided by the network device. Only a small portion of the network device need be operable to send data to the test ports. In addition, the test ports are programmable while the network device is operating and without impacting its operation. Moreover, because the test ports are programmable—that is, they are not dedicated—they may be re-programmed for normal device operation.

US Patent:

7263597, Aug 28, 2007

Filed:

Apr 19, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/838320

Inventors:

Peter B Everdell - Littleton MA, US
Chris R Noel - Acton MA, US
Brian Branscomb - Hopkinton MA, US
Nicholas A Langrind - Carlisle MA, US

Assignee:

CIENA Corporation - Linthicum MD

International Classification:

G06F 15/76

US Classification:

712 11, 709201

Abstract:

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for improving transmission of control information within a network device and between multiple connected network devices. Specifically, a control path is included within a network device that is independent of the data path and dedicates control path resources to each distributed processor within the network device. Dedicating resources insures that each processor has sufficient bandwidth on the control plane to transmit control information at high frequencies. This may prevent starvation of data transmissions during periods of high control information transfers and may also reduce the likelihood or further spreading of control information storms when one or more network devices in a network experiences a failure.

US Patent:

53454472, Sep 6, 1994

Filed:

Feb 5, 1993

Appl. No.:

8/014212

Inventors:

Chris R. Noel - Cambridge MA

Assignee:

Bytex Corporation - Westborough MA

International Classification:

H04L 1246
H04L 1266

US Classification:

370 67

Abstract:

An apparatus for interconnecting a plurality of segments each of which operates in accordance with a bus protocol specifying collision detection and propagation operations. The apparatus includes a switching mechanism including a backplane having P signal paths and P switch ports each with an input and an output. The input of each switch port is connected to a different one of the P signal paths and at each switch port it connects a selectable one or more of the P signal paths to the output for that switch port. The apparatus also includes a plurality of port circuits each connected to a different one of the ports of the switching mechanism. Each port circuit includes an interface to which one of the plurality of segments is connected and through which that port circuit receives a data signal from and transmits a data signal to the attached segment; an auto-partition state machine connected to the interface for that port circuit receiving the data signal from the segment connected to that port circuit's interface and generating therefrom a single output signal on the output line of that port circuit, the auto-partition state machine performing partitioning functions for that port circuit' s segment; and a control state machine receiving a signal over the input for that port circuit and using that signal to implement the collision detection and propagation operations of the bus protocol for the segment connected to that port circuit.

US Patent:

6332198, Dec 18, 2001

Filed:

Jun 9, 2000

Appl. No.:

9/591193

Inventors:

Corey Simons - Waltham MA
Terrence S. Pearson - Hollis NH
Chris R. Noel - Acton MA
Joseph D. Kidder - Arlington MA
Brian Branscomb - Hopkinton MA
Nicholas A. Langrind - Carlisle MA
Daniel J. Sullivan - Hopkinton MA
Barbara A. Fox - Arlington MA

Assignee:

Equipe Communications Corporation - Acton MA

International Classification:

G06F 1300

US Classification:

714 6

Abstract:

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for supporting multiple redundancy schemes in a single network device. In one network device, various redundancy schemes are supported including 1:1, 1+1, 1:N, no redundancy or a combination of redundancy schemes. In addition, the redundancy scheme or schemes for physical network device cards (i. e. , universal port cards) or ports may be different from the redundancy scheme or schemes for forwarding network device cards. For example, a network manager may want to provide 1:1 or 1+1 redundancy for all universal port cards and/or ports but only 1:N redundancy for each N group of forwarding cards. As another example, the network manager may provide certain customers with 1:1 redundancy on both universal port cards (or ports) and forwarding cards to ensure that customer's network availability while providing other customers, with lower availability requirements, with various other redundancy scheme combinations, for example, 1:1, 1+1, 1:N or no redundancy for port cards or ports and 1:N or no redundancy for forwarding cards. The present invention allows customers having different availability/redundancy needs to be serviced by same network device.

Author:

Chris Noel

ISBN #:

0828319030