Patent ID: 6373826
Filing Date: 2002-04-16
Classification: H04J,H04L

Abstract:
A method of preventing looping of user broadcast messages in a communications network, said communications network comprising a plurality of nodes, each node having two ports, said ports being connected by links to form a ring of nodes, said method comprising the steps of:i. sending control signals between nodes in said communications network, each control signal comprising information about which node the control signal originated from and how many nodes have been passed in the ring since that control signal originated; ii. blocking one of the ports on a node to user broadcast messages if control signals received by two ports on that node are identical; and iii. blocking a port to user broadcast messages if identical control signals are simultaneously output from and input to that port; such that in use said ring of nodes is effectively a tree structure for the propagation of user broadcast messages and looping of user broadcast messages around the ring is prevented.