Transfer Device Frame Routing via Importance Tables
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Solution Overview
Problem
In mesh networks using SPB, frame transfer cannot be controlled according to the transfer destination instrument, leading to unnecessary frame transfers.
Innovation Solution
A transfer device with a transfer management table and adjacent information table to store and manage transfer destination ports, identifying and controlling important frames for redundant paths, ensuring frames are transferred only to necessary destinations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If frames are broadcast to all independent paths to ensure reliability, then frame transfer reliability is improved, but unnecessary frame transfers occur and network efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating frame handling based on importance level. Important frames are broadcast to all paths for redundancy, while non-important frames are discarded after single-path transmission. This selective approach ensures reliability for critical traffic without wasting network resources on non-critical traffic, resolving the contradiction between reliability and network efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments frames into two categories: important frames and non-important frames, based on importance information in frame headers. This segmentation allows the system to apply different transmission strategies to different frame types, broadcasting only important frames to multiple paths while discarding non-important frames, thereby maintaining reliability for critical communications while improving overall network efficiency.
2Reliability
If important frames are copied and transmitted through redundant paths, then communication reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple path management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses copying by creating duplicate copies of important frames and transmitting them through multiple independent paths. Each receiving device can independently process these copied frames using simple comparison of importance information and frame identifiers, avoiding complex path management while ensuring that at least one copy reaches the destination even if some paths fail.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-service by enabling receiving devices to autonomously determine whether to transfer or discard frames based on simple criteria: checking importance information in the frame header and comparing frame identifiers. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for complex centralized path management, reducing device complexity while maintaining communication reliability through redundant path transmission.
3Reliability
If all received frames are transferred to ensure no important frame is lost, then frame delivery completeness is improved, but unnecessary frame transfers consume network resources
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-marking important frames with importance information in their headers before transmission. Receiving devices use this pre-marked information to immediately identify which frames require transfer and which can be discarded, eliminating the need to transfer all frames and reducing network resource consumption while ensuring complete delivery of important frames.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses feedback by comparing frame identifiers of received frames against previously received frames. This feedback mechanism allows receiving devices to identify duplicate important frames and discard them, preventing unnecessary re-transfers while ensuring that each important frame is delivered exactly once, thus conserving network resources while maintaining delivery completeness.
Data Source
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AI summary
There are provided: a transfer management table storage unit 26 to store a transfer management table which indicates transfer destination ports for frames received from another transfer device, the another transfer device being configured to transmit a frame low in importance of received frames without copying this frame and to transmit an important frame of received frames to paths made redundant by copying the important frame, the important frame being a frame higher in importance than the frame low in importance; an adjacent information table storage unit 291 to store an adjacent information table which indicates information about instruments connected to the ports; and a transfer destination management unit 24 to control whether to transfer an important frame received from another transfer device by use of the transfer management table and the adjacent information table.