Abstract: A central node in a network computes for, and sends to, each node a forwarding table which consists of the set of neighbors to which the node should forward a message intended for a particular destination. The message includes a version number in the packet field header indicating which forwarding table version the node should use to forward the packet. The node does not begin marking and forwarding packets according to the new version number immediately. The node may wait a period of time after receiving the new table or may wait until receiving notification from the fabric manager to begin using the new version number. When a node receives a message from an end node, it inserts either the most recently received version number in one embodiment or uses the version dictated by the fabric manager in another embodiment.

Abstract: Magnetic force from a momentarily excited coil (34) results in oscillatory flexure of a flexible diaphragm (30) loaded on one side by a liquid (10) whose level is to be measured. A permanent magnet (42) mounted on the diaphragm (30) so moves with diaphragm flexure as to vary the magnetic saturation of a saturable circuit in which the coil (34) generates flux. By determining the coil's inductance under quiescent-diaphragm conditions, a computer (56) can infer the ambient pressure that bears upon the liquid (10). By compensating for the static pressure thus inferred, it can then determine liquid level by observing diaphragm oscillations reflected in coil electromotive force generated by the magnet (42) as the diaphram (30) undergoes oscillatory flexure in response to the coil's momentary excitation.