Patent ID: 7461156

Claim:
Method for facilitating data transmission over a network by determining a remote timeout parameter in a network comprising a link comprising the steps, at a level of a first bridge portal, upon solicitation to provide its timeout contribution for a request subaction, of: (a) determining whether a destination node of the request subaction is located on the link or not, wherein the link represents a second bus that is between a first bus and a third bus, wherein the link is implemented through a first and a second bridge portal connected respectively to the first and the third bus, and wherein the link is modelized as the second bus connected to the first bus and the third bus through respective bridges; (b) if a destination node of the request subaction is located on the link representing the second bus, adding to the timeout contribution: the first bridge portal's maximum request subaction processing time and the link's maximum transmission time, wherein the timeout represents the sum of time limits that each bridge on a route from a requesting node to a destination node is allotted to forward the request subaction, the requesting node being on the first bus, the destination node being on the link representing the second bus or on the third bus; (c) if a destination node of the request subaction is not located on the link representing the second bus, adding to the timeout contribution: the first bridge portal's maximum request subaction processing time and half of the link's maximum transmission time; and (d) deeming a data transmission attempt a failure if the request subaction does not occur within a time interval defined by the timeout contribution.