It is carried out by the end point switches. Total redundancy is usually impractical, but financial institutions and other organizations with mission-critical applications attempt to install a high level of redundancy on the basis that downtime loses money, lives, depending on the business. Repeater A device that extends the maximum length of cable that can be used in a single network. In fiber networks, it is an optoelectrical module that receives an optical signal and converts it into an electrical form. A layout scheme in which the network takes the form of a closed loop with the devices attached into the ring.
Every workstation is linked to two others, one on each side.
All data is passed from node to node in one direction only, each PC acting as a repeater for the next one in the loop. Response time is determined by the number of stations on the ring - the more there are, the slower it works. If one PC fails, the loop is broken, though most rings have self-healing capacity to reconfigure and continue operation. IBM's Token passing ring ensures that the failed station is removed and its neighbors are then directly connected. Ring in and Ring out Token Ring connectors on the MSAU connecting the unit to trunk cabling.