Patent ID: 6928050

Claim:
A network ring that is manipulated to provide a virtual break in order to operate within a network requiring a tree topology, the network carrying data packets, the network ring comprising: A) a master arbiter comprising: a MA East port; a MA West port; and B) a Slave Arbiter comprising: a SA East Port normally connected to the MA East Port by a full duplex communication connection; a SA West port normally connected to the MA West Port by a full duplex communication connection; a SA control system; the SA control system comprising controls over the introduction and removal of a virtual break to prevent the formation of a communication ring for data packets within the network requiring a tree topology through the use of at least one non-forwarding state wherein control traffic is forwarded but data packets are not forwarded; the SA control system comprising: at least one rule causing the operation of a SA Port in a slave-forwarding state wherein the port forwards data packets and control traffic received at the port; at least one rule causing the operation of a SA Port in one of at least one non-forwarding states wherein control traffic is forwarded but data packets are not forwarded; at least one rule causing the Slave Arbiter to operate when the ring is fully operational such that one SA Port is in a slave-forwarding state and the other SA Port is in a non-forwarding state wherein control traffic is forwarded but data packets are not forwarded; at least one rule for changing the state of the Slave Arbiter to have both the SA East Port and the SA West port acting to forward data packets after a functional break in the network ring is discerned; and at least one rule for changing the state of one of the two SA Ports to a non-forwarding state wherein control traffic is forwarded but data packets are not forwarded after detection that the functional break has been removed.