Patent ID: 8817611
Filing Date: 2014-08-26
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of operating an Ethernet network with redundancy properties and having a ring network topology in which network devices are connected to one another with their data ports via data lines and for exchange of control data and user data via the data lines with the aid of protocols that suppress the exchange of network traffic via certain data ports of individual network devices with the exception of network traffic for controlling or monitoring medium redundancy in order to avoid an endless recirculation of network traffic in physical loops of the Ethernet Network, the method comprising the steps of: executing at least two different redundancy protocols that are Rapid Spanning Tree and Media Redundancy protocols in parallel by the network devices in the Ethernet network; determining and assigning control to one of the two different redundancy protocols to have total control over which ports in the network devices are active and which ports are blocked for transmission of user data and network data network traffic that results in a line of network devices while allowing all control and monitor traffic to traverse the ring of network devices; transmitting control and monitoring packets by the Rapid Spanning Tree protocol packets through all of the network devices in the ring while restricting the data ports of the network devices to transmit user data and data network traffic to the network devices connected in the line of the network devices.