Patent ID: 8787379

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a plurality of nodes; and a plurality of links connecting the nodes in a ring topology, wherein a first node from among the plurality of nodes is coupled to a first link from among the plurality of links, wherein a second link from among the plurality of links couples the first node from amongst the plurality of nodes to a second node from amongst the plurality of nodes, wherein the first link comprises a plurality of virtual channels, wherein each of the plurality of virtual channels is assigned to provide service to a destination node from among a plurality of destination nodes, wherein a first identifier is assigned to a first virtual channel from among the plurality of virtual channels, wherein the first identifier assigned to the first virtual channel indicates the number of hops from the first node to an assigned serviced destination node from among the plurality of destination nodes, wherein the second link comprises a second virtual channel that is identified using a second identifier that represents a second number of hops from the second node to the assigned service destination node, and wherein the first node is configured to: decrement the second identifier by one; assign a flit to the first virtual channel from among the plurality of virtual channels using the first identifier that equals the second identifier decremented by one; and transmit the flit via the first virtual channel toward the assigned service destination node.