Patent ID: 8339993
Filing Date: 2012-12-25
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A system comprising: a plurality of nodes that are communicatively coupled to one another; and a master comprising at least two of the plurality of nodes, the at least two nodes in the master communicatively coupled together in a fault-tolerant configuration; wherein each node is communicatively coupled to a first neighbor node included in the plurality of nodes via a respective direct link in a first direction and to a second neighbor node included in the plurality of nodes via a respective direct link in a second direction; wherein each node is communicatively coupled to a first neighbor's neighbor node included in the plurality of nodes via a respective skip link in the first direction and to a second neighbor's neighbor node included in the plurality of nodes via a respective skip link in the second direction; wherein each of the at least two nodes in the master transmits a message having a first field with an initial value over its respective direct and skip links in the first and second directions; wherein each of the nodes not included in the master: