Patent ID: 8516150

Claim:
A computer configured to serially connect to a chain of computers for uploading duplicate data, the computer comprising: a processor; a memory; a downstream input port for receiving messages traveling in a downstream direction; an upstream input port for receiving message traveling in an upstream direction; a downstream output port for forwarding messages in the downstream direction; an upstream output port for forwarding messages in the upstream direction; a network forward function executed by the processor, wherein the network forward function: performs a handshake message exchange with a dataloader to determine a MAC address of a target node of the chain of computers; forwards file transfer protocol messages received via the downstream input port and having the MAC address for the target node to the downstream output port; causes the processor to locally consume the file transfer protocol messages; selectively suppresses one or more messages responding to the file transfer protocol messages from being forwarded upstream to the dataloader; and wherein the network forward function verifies that a local read request (RRQ) message has been generated by the processor prior to forwarding a RRQ message received via the upstream input port.