Selecting a routing direction in a communications network using a cost metric
US6680912B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 3, 2000 |
| Grant date | Jan 20, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 3, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02D30/50
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The disclosed network includes two rings, wherein a first ring transmits data in a clockwise direction, and the other ring transmits data in a counterclockwise direction. The traffic is removed from the ring by the destination node. During normal operations (i.e., all spans operational), data between nodes flows on the ring that would provide the minimum number of hops to the destination node. Thus, both rings are fully utilized during normal operations. The nodes periodically test the bit error rate of the links (or the error rate is constantly calculated) to detect a fault in one of the links. The detection of such a fault sends a broadcast signal to all nodes to reconfigure a routing table within the node so as to identify the optimum routing of source traffic to the destination node after the fault. Since the available links will now see more data traffic due to the failed link, traffic designated as “unprotected” traffic is given lower priority and may be dropped or delayed in favor of the “protected” traffic. Specific techniques are described for identifying a failed link, communicating the failed link to the other nodes, differentiating between protec…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.