Patent ID: 9503521
Filing Date: 2016-11-22
CPC Classification: G06F,H04J,H04L

Claim Text:
1. A method for the reliable switching of synchronisation messages in a distributed computer system including a number of node computers performed by a switching unit including at least four Fault-Containment Units (FCUs) including an input system (EIN), a first switching system (VER1), a second switching system (VER2), and an output system (AUS), wherein the management of a transparent clock conforming to IEEE Standard 1588 is supported, the method comprising: receiving a message arriving at the EIN from a transmitting node computer; forwarding the message in unmodified form from EIN to the VER1 and to the VER2, generating a timestamp for the arrival of the message in the VER1, modifying a Time Interval Correction (TIC) field within the message using the VER1 in order to provide the delay period of the message in VER1, re-calculating a Cyclic Redundancy Field (CRC) field of the modified message using the VER1 to make the message a closed message, forwarding the closed message from the VER1 to AUS, and generating a timestamp indicating an arrival of the message in the VER2, modifying a TIC field within the message using the VER2 in order to indicate the delay period of the message in VER2, and re-calculating a CRC field of the modified message using the VER2 to make the message a closed message, forwarding the closed message from the VER2 to the AUS, receiving the message from VER1 and the message from VER2 in the AUS, determining whether the content of the message delivered from VER1 matches the content of the message delivered from VER2 using the AUS, determining whether the interval between the moment of receipt of the message delivered from VER1 and the moment of receipt of the message delivered from VER2 is smaller than a first interval using the AUS, determining whether the absolute value of the difference of the delay values stored in the two TIC fields is smaller than a second interval using the AUS, and wherein the AUS selects one of interrupting the transmission of the message that is outbound via the addressed output ports and changing the outbound message in such a way that each message receiver identifies the incoming message as faulty in response to a determination that at least one of the interval being smaller than the first interval, the absolute value of the difference is smaller than the second interval, and the content of the message matches is negative.