A fiber loop includes a plurality of processors coupled to each other and a controller coupled to each of the plurality of processors. The controller is configured to: assign to each of the plurality of processors a number of wavelengths for interconnect communications between the plurality of processors; receive, from a first processor of the plurality of processors, a request for one or more additional wavelengths; determine whether an interconnect bandwidth utilization on the fiber loop is less than a threshold; and in response to determining that the interconnect bandwidth utilization on the fiber loop is less than the threshold, reassign, to the first processor, one or more wavelengths that are assigned to a second processor of the plurality of processors.

A fiber loop includes a plurality of processors coupled to each other and a controller coupled to each of the plurality of processors. The controller is configured to: assign to each of the plurality of processors a number of wavelengths for interconnect communications between the plurality of processors; receive, from a first processor of the plurality of processors, a request for one or more additional wavelengths; determine whether an interconnect bandwidth utilization on the fiber loop is less than a threshold; and in response to determining that the interconnect bandwidth utilization on the fiber loop is less than the threshold, reassign, to the first processor, one or more wavelengths that are assigned to a second processor of the plurality of processors.

The invention describes a method and a computer network for fault tolerant message transmission. Nodes of the network are connected to form a ring network. Nodes in the network form a summation group. For transmitting messages from the nodes of the summation group to a switch edge, nodes of the summation group generate and send summation frames. If a node participating in the summation group determines the non-arrival of a summation frame, it generates first recovery frame, inserts its message into said recovery frame, and sends this first recovery frame in the direction of the summation frame, which it was expecting. After sending the first recovery frame, it generates a second recovery frame, inserts its messages into said second right direction recovery frame, and sends said second right direction recovery frame to the switch.

A communication device includes a master station, a ring-type transmission line whose start point and end point are connected to the master station, and a plurality of slave stations connected to the ring-type transmission line in parallel. The master station transmits a signal and feeds electric power from both of the start point and the end point of the ring-type transmission line. Each of the slave stations includes an impedance variable element connected to the ring-type transmission line in parallel, and values are set to the impedance variable elements in accordance with the connection positions of the slave stations.

A communication device includes a master station, a ring-type transmission line whose start point and end point are connected to the master station, and a plurality of slave stations connected to the ring-type transmission line in parallel. The master station transmits a signal and feeds electric power from both of the start point and the end point of the ring-type transmission line. Each of the slave stations includes an impedance variable element connected to the ring-type transmission line in parallel, and values are set to the impedance variable elements in accordance with the connection positions of the slave stations.

The present invention is directed to data communication. In certain embodiments, the present invention provides switching mechanism for choosing between redundant communication links. Data received from a first set of communication links are processed to have alignment markers removed, and first figure of merit value is determined based on the data without alignment markers. Similarly, a second figure of merit value is determined for the data received from the second set of communication links. A switch selects between the first set of communication links and the second set of communication links based on their respective figure of merit values. Alignment markers are inserted into the data transmitted through the selected set of data links. There are other embodiments as well.

The present invention is directed to data communication. In certain embodiments, the present invention provides switching mechanism for choosing between redundant communication links. Data received from a first set of communication links are processed to have alignment markers removed, and first figure of merit value is determined based on the data without alignment markers. Similarly, a second figure of merit value is determined for the data received from the second set of communication links. A switch selects between the first set of communication links and the second set of communication links based on their respective figure of merit values. Alignment markers are inserted into the data transmitted through the selected set of data links. There are other embodiments as well.

A method of managing nodes in a network is provided, comprising: in accordance with detecting that a new node joins a network including a plurality of nodes, mapping the new node to a virtual ring associated with the network, the plurality of nodes being mapped to different locations on the virtual ring; determining a decision region of the virtual ring, the decision region comprising the new node and at least one of the plurality of nodes, all of nodes in the decision region to jointly review a proposal of one of the nodes in the decision region; and adjusting nodes in the decision region other than the new node to locations on the virtual ring outside the decision region.

A method of managing nodes in a network is provided, comprising: in accordance with detecting that a new node joins a network including a plurality of nodes, mapping the new node to a virtual ring associated with the network, the plurality of nodes being mapped to different locations on the virtual ring; determining a decision region of the virtual ring, the decision region comprising the new node and at least one of the plurality of nodes, all of nodes in the decision region to jointly review a proposal of one of the nodes in the decision region; and adjusting nodes in the decision region other than the new node to locations on the virtual ring outside the decision region.

The present invention is directed to data communication. In certain embodiments, the present invention provides switching mechanism for choosing between redundant communication links. Data received from a first set of communication links are processed to have alignment markers removed, and first figure of merit value is determined based on the data without alignment markers. Similarly, a second figure of merit value is determined for the data received from the second set of communication links. A switch selects between the first set of communication links and the second set of communication links based on their respective figure of merit values. Alignment markers are inserted into the data transmitted through the selected set of data links. There are other embodiments as well.