A communication device with an activated ring controller provided in both first and second subnetworks for data transmission in a redundantly operable communications network, which includes at least one first and one second subnetwork, which each include communication devices interconnected within a ring topology, wherein the subnetworks are interconnected via coupling line sections to which coupling communication devices are connected, where the coupling line section to which a selected coupling communication device is connected is operated as an inactive reserve coupling line section until a disruption occurs, whilst another coupling line section is operated as an active main coupling line section, where coupling communication devices connected to the main coupling line section transmit status datagrams to the selected coupling communication device which additionally include configuration information about whether the particular coupling communication device connected to the main coupling line section is an activatable ring controller.

Examples disclosed herein relate to managing a second ring link failure in a multi-ring Ethernet network. In an example, an inter-connection network node in a multi-ring Ethernet network comprising a major ring and a sub-ring may propagate a signal failure (SF) event, received in response to a second ring link failure in the major ring, to one or more nodes in the sub-ring. In response to receiving the SF event, a Ring Protection Link (RPL) on the sub-ring may be unlocked to allow network traffic through the RPL and avoid loop formation on the multi-ring Ethernet network. The sub-ring may be moved to the ring protection switching state, including performing a filtering database (FDB) flush at every node on the multi-ring Ethernet network whereby all MAC addresses and related port associations for traffic forwarding are cleared from the FDB.

A functional node for an information transmission network and corresponding network are disclosed. In one aspect, the functional node includes at least one module for distributing messages between input and output ports. The distribution module includes at least one combination of at least three ports, including a first input port connected to a second output port by a first capability for unconditionally propagating messages, not depending on the messages. The first and/or second ports are connected to a third port by a second capability for conditionally propagating messages, depending on the messages.

A terminal control apparatus and a central control apparatus may control at least one terminal device that consumes energy in an energy management system while obtaining the same effect as when virtual equipment is used. A first terminal control apparatus may receive a control command related to a first terminal device from a central control apparatus or a second terminal control apparatus included in the energy management system. The first terminal control apparatus may determine whether the first terminal device matches the first terminal control apparatus, and selectively transmit the control command to a third terminal control apparatus or selectively control the first terminal device according to the control command, based on the determination.

A receiver network component operates in a communication network of an automation system. The component receives data messages sent redundantly by transmitter network components of the communication network and rejects duplicates of an already received data message. Interoperability of network components from different manufacturers is ensured even for device-redundant transmitter network components and redundant transmission of data messages is achieve with comparatively low complexity. The receiver network component is prompted by reception of a current data message from one of the transmitter network devices to check whether a data message with identical useful data has already been received from another transmitter network component. The data message is processed if it is received for the first time and it is rejected as a duplicate if it is a data message with such useful data that have already been received in an earlier data message from another transmitter network component.

Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing network management layer configuration management. In some embodiments, a system might determine one or more network devices in a network for implementing a service arising from a service request that originates from a client device over the network. The system might further determine network technology utilized by each of the one or more network devices, and might generate flow domain information (in some cases, in the form of a flow domain network (“FDN”) object), using flow domain analysis, based at least in part on the determined network devices and/or the determined network technology. The system might automatically configure at least one of the network devices to enable performance of the service (which might include, without limitation, service activation, service modification, fault isolation, and/or performance monitoring), based at least in part on the generated flow domain information.

Systems and methods are disclosed for effectuating control-plane changes at increased speeds to protect a network in which switching operations are performed. Operations to effectuate control-plane changes in the network can be divided between software and more-rapid, dedicated hardware within a line card. Examples of operations reserved to hardware implementation can include blocking and unblocking of ports, flushing of learned entries from switch tables, and coordination of control-plane changes through the generation of messages sent between nodes, and also between line cards of a node. Determinations about the need for hardware-driven, control-plane changes may be made based on events occurring in the network in accordance with any of a number of different network protection protocols. The protocol may be implemented in a state machine and the software may determine the state of the hardware through a master/slave relationship.

A communication system includes two or more ring networks in which nodes are connected in a ring shape, carries out ERP for each of the ring networks, sets one of the ring networks as a major ring that detects a failure in a shared link, and sets the other ring networks as sub rings. A shared node, which terminates the shared link, includes: a failure monitoring unit that respectively detects, concerning two or more of the ring networks that share the shared link, failures in the ring networks; a switching processing unit that determines, on the basis of a detection result of the failures, the ring network set as the major ring; and ERP processing units that store, when the switching is performed by the switching processing unit, identification information after the switching in an R-APS frame and transfer or transmit the frame.

A transmission device includes a processor configured to arrange a traffic in one or more slots assigned, based on slot information, in an overhead among slots of a frame signal received in one of a first transmitter/receiver and a second transmitter/receiver and to be transmitted from the other, acquire traffic information that indicates an increase or decrease in the traffic, and update the slot information so that a number of slots in which the traffic is accommodated increases or decreases, based on the traffic information, generate a message regarding update of the slot information based on the increase or decrease in the traffic, and insert the message into the overhead of the frame signal received in the one of the first transmitter/receiver and the second transmitter/receiver and to be transmitted from the other.

A repeater receiving an original frame from a connected Electronic Control Unit (ECU) by a normal port divides data stored in a data area of the received frame, and each of a plurality of divided data pieces is stored in the data area in each of a plurality of division frames to be sent out to a destination. Each of the plurality of division frames of the original frame is distributed to one of two ring ports according to a determination of the repeater, and each of the division frames is sent out therefrom to the destination. In such manner, the frame transmission time required for a transmission of the frame is reduced.