Apparatus and method of token ring beacon station removal for a communication network

Patent 5283783 Issued on February 1, 1994. Estimated Expiration Date:

January 28, 2013. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

Ring network configuration
Patent #: 4937823
Issued on: 06/26/1990
Inventor: Bekki, et al.

Method for initiating configuration of a communication network after the interruption of at least two-ring shaped networks arranged in parallel
Patent #: 5105188
Issued on: 04/14/1992
Inventor: Jung, et al.

Self-healing network with distributed failure restoration capabilities Patent #: 5235599
Issued on: 08/10/1993
Inventor: Nishimura, et al.

Inventors

Assignee

Synoptics Communications, Inc.

Application

No. 011176 filed on 01/28/1993

US Classes:

370/222, In a ring or loop network340/2.7, Condition of data channel370/452, On ring or loop714/4Of network

Examiners

Primary: Safourek, Benedict V.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Blakely, Sokoloff, Taylor & Zafman

International Class

H04L 012/42

Abstract

A network process that automatically identifies and isolates a faulty station or group of stations within a token ring communication network in a timely manner. The present invention performs three different and separate processing strategies to identify and isolate faulty stations and or groups of stations within a token ring communication network. The processing of the present invention is accomplished simultaneously within the network management modules of each concentrator within the overall communication network. Upon receipt of beacon signals indicating a faulty station in the network, the present invention directs the NMM to isolate newly inserted stations or modules. If this is not successful then the present invention attempts a direct removal process if port address association data is present. If no port address association data is present then a brute force process is performed to identify and isolate the station or module that is generating a communication fault within the token ring network.