Abstract: A method and apparatus for a communications network that executes a medium access control (MAC) protocol that permits multiple access to a shared medium or shared switching fabric. The MAC protocol uses a BANDWIDTH_ALLOCATOR to regulate access to the network by sending a permission message to a NODE, allowing it to transmit to a specific set of NODEs for a specific length of time. The medium and switching fabric can carry one or more protocols, each of varying framing format and native bitrate. The switching fabric provides a connection-oriented bufferless data transport service that preserves frame ordering. An illustrative embodiment uses a slotted master/slave time-division multiplexed access (TDMA) scheme to allow flexible provisioning of network bandwidth.

Abstract: A system for simultaneously transmitting and receiving multiple data messages on a unidirectional ring having a plurality of nodes coupled thereto is described. This technique utilizes a medium access (MAC) protocol for a multi-gigabit-per-second local-area optical wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) network that is particularly well suited for high-performance computing environments that need a network that provides quality of service and the ability to enforce service level agreements. The protocol uses an asynchronous, unslotted, tokenless, and collision-free access scheme that is arbitrated by a centralized scheduler. The embodiment is based on a folded-bus unidirectional ring that is passively optically tapped by the nodes to both transmit data onto the network and to receive data from the network.

Abstract: A fiber-optic networking system that can survive a break in the fiber and restore full connectivity to all nodes in the network. The network can detect the presence of a cut in the fiber, locate the cut, recover from the cut, and restore the communication capacity that was available before the cut. The network is also capable of automatically determining the existence and identity of the nodes in the network, the distance of the node from the headend, and the executing procedures to handle both planned and unplanned (i.e., during a fault) removal of nodes from the network.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a communications network that executes a medium access control (MAC) protocol that permits multiple access to a shared medium or shared switching fabric. The MAC protocol uses a BANDWIDTH_ALLOCATOR to regulate access to the network by sending a permission message to a NODE, allowing it to transmit to a specific set of NODEs for a specific length of time. The medium and switching fabric can carry one or more protocols, each of varying framing format and native bitrate. The switching fabric provides a connection-oriented bufferless data transport service that preserves frame ordering. An illustrative embodiment uses a slotted master/slave time-division multiplexed access (TDMA) scheme to allow flexible provisioning of network bandwidth.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a communications network that executes a medium access control (MAC) protocol that permits multiple access to a shared medium or shared switching fabric. The MAC protocol uses a bandwidth allocator to regulate access to the network by sending a permission message to a node, allowing it to transmit to a specific set of nodes for a specific length of time. The medium and switching fabric can carry one or more protocols, each of varying framing format and native bitrate. The switching fabric provides a connection-oriented bufferless data transport service that preserves frame ordering. An illustrative embodiment uses a slotted master/slave time-division multiplexed access (TDMA) scheme to allow flexible provisioning of network bandwidth.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a communications network that executes a medium access control (MAC) protocol that permits multiple access to a shared medium or shared switching fabric. The MAC protocol uses a BANDWIDTH_ALLOCATOR to regulate access to the network by sending a permission message to a NODE, allowing it to transmit to a specific set of NODEs for a specific length of time. The medium and switching fabric can carry one or more protocols, each of varying framing format and native bitrate. The switching fabric provides a connection-oriented bufferless data transport service that preserves frame ordering. An illustrative embodiment uses a slotted master/slave time-division multiplexed access (TDMA) scheme to allow flexible provisioning of network bandwidth.

Abstract: A pseudorandom sequence generator including a first feedback shift register having at least one input and at least one output and a first controller having an output in communication with the at least one input of the first feedback shift register; the first feedback shift register operating at a first speed S1 and the first controller operating at a second speed S2. In one embodiment the first speed S1 of the first feedback shift register is an integer multiple of the second speed S2 of the first controller. In another embodiment the first feedback shift register includes a shift register having an input, an output, and at least one tap; and a feedback function generator having a first input in communication with the at least one tap of the shift register, a second input in communication with the output of the first controller, and an output in communication with the input of the shift register; the feedback function generator includes at least one feedback function.