Methods and apparatus for communicating data in networks with separate channels for packet assembly and packet broadcast

Abstract

A network includes a plurality of sequentially connected computers. Data packets generated by the computers are merged into a stream of data packets on a delivery channel. The stream of data packets are then broadcast to all of the computers in the network on a separate broadcast channel.

Description

[0001] This application is a continuation application of application Ser. No. 09 / 624,280 filed on Jul. 24, 2000, which is a divisional application of application Ser. No. 08 / 687,777 filed Jul. 31, 1996, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,115,747, which application is a continuation-in-part application of application Ser. No. 08 / 556,518 filed on Nov. 13, 1995, now abandoned. Other related applications include application Ser. No. 08 / 690,673, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,761,433; application Ser. No. 08 / 690,676, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,793,981; application Ser. No. 08 / 688,799, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,061,730; and application Ser. No. 08 / 690,735, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,117.[0002] 1. Field of the Invention[0003] The present invention relates to computer networks and, more particularly, to computer networks in which data is communicated among a plurality of computers.[0004] 2. Description of Related Art[0005] Computer networking involves moving data from one ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

As local area networks expand and as data processing tasks become more complex, networks become more congested, resulting in poor performance and requiring more complicated customer installations.

However, when a substantial number of users (i.e., computers) simultaneously load program files over the network, bandwidth quickly becomes a serious problem.

Even networks with fewer than 100 workstations can become unusably sluggish in performance when the users are actively loading and executing programs from, for example, the Windows.TM. environment, over the network.

While this approach has greatly improved performance for many organizations, it is costly and creates delays and complications when it is necessary for users to share information over a wide area of the network.

Although most analysts see ATM as the wave of the future, its emergence has been slower than predicted, because ATM doesn't neatly fit the layered models common to existing networks and the ATM specification itself does not encompass such things as speed and protocols.

This is necessary since the topology differences between ATM and today's networking schemes will require logical decisions which, in some cases, cannot be adequately provided through customized physical layer interfaces and drivers.

If two or more computers determine that the network is idle and respectively issue packets at the same time, a collision occurs.

In busy Ethernet networks, collisions occur frequently.

As a drawback, a computer must wait for the marker before issuing a packet.

Further, if a packet is addressed incorrectly or is otherwise undeliverable, the packet will endlessly circulate in the token ring.

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