Patent ID: 7768906
Filing Date: 2010-08-03
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A loop network including at least two loops, a plurality of devices connected to the at least two loops via ports, wherein at least two of the devices are initiators, each initiator including: a transmitter configured to send a frame to all other initiators in the loop network identifying any ports which are not to be used, wherein the frame either lists all the ports which can be used or lists all the ports which cannot be used; and a processor configured to merge the information from all other initiators with the initiator's own information identifying any ports which are not to be used; resulting in a single set of ports to be used, the list being consistent across all the initiators, wherein each initiator applies an algorithm to determine the single set of ports to be used by all the initiators and to balance port accesses across the loop network, wherein the algorithm counts for each loop a number of single port access devices only accessible by a port on that loop and then determines a balance value of accesses across the loops, the method selecting a successive port so as to reduce the balance value towards zero, wherein the algorithm selects a least utilized route to a device.