Network mechanism, network arrangement and method for operating a network arrangement

A network arrangement comprising:

• a plurality of network mechanisms including a first network mechanism and a second network mechanism communicating through a transmission medium, each network mechanism comprising:
• a first control mechanism and a first physical port assigned to the first control mechanism, and
• a second control mechanism and a second physical port assigned to the second control mechanism,
• wherein both:
• transmitted data from the first control mechanism are coupled by a first internal transmit connector of the first control mechanism via the first physical port into the transmission medium and received data arriving at the second physical port are routed to a first internal receive connector of the first control mechanism, and
• received data arriving at the first physical port are routed to a second internal receive connector of the second control mechanism and transmitted data from the second control mechanism are coupled by a second internal transmit connector of the second control mechanism via the second physical port into the transmission medium,
• wherein the plurality of network mechanisms are connected to define two communication rings that communicate data is opposite directions from each other, with each communication ring routing data through the plurality of network mechanisms,
• wherein for the first communication ring, which communicates data in a first direction, the first physical port assigned to the first control mechanism in each respective network mechanism is communicatively coupled with the aid of a first transmission medium to the second physical port assigned to the second control mechanism in another one of the plurality of network mechanisms so that data received at the first physical port is not communicated to the first control mechanism, and
• wherein for the second communication ring, which communicates data in a second direction opposite the first direction, the second physical port assigned to the second control mechanism in each respective network mechanism is communicatively coupled with the aid of a second transmission medium to the first physical port assigned to the first control mechanism in another one of the plurality of network mechanisms mechanism so that data received at the second physical port is not communicated to the second control mechanism.

A method for operating a network arrangement comprising a plurality of network mechanisms including a first network mechanism and a second network mechanism, each network mechanism comprising a first control mechanism and a first physical port assigned to the first control mechanism, and a second control mechanism and second physical port assigned to the second control mechanism,

• wherein the plurality of network mechanisms are connected to define two communication rings that communicate data in opposite directions from each other, with each communication ring routing data through the plurality of network mechanisms,
• wherein for the first communication ring, which communicates data in a first direction, the first physical port assigned to the first control mechanism in each respective network mechanism is communicatively coupled with the aid of a first transmission medium to the second physical port assigned to the second control mechanism in the second network mechanism so that data received at the first physical port is not communicated to the first control mechanism, and
• wherein for the second communication ring, which communicates data in a second direction opposite the first direction, the second physical port assigned to the second control mechanism in each respective network mechanism is communicatively coupled with the aid of a second transmission medium to the first physical port assigned to the first control mechanism in the second network mechanism so that data received at the second physical port is not communicated to the second control mechanism, the method comprising:
• at the first physical port of the first network mechanism, for data communicated via the first communication ring in the first direction, rerouting data received by the transmission medium to the second physical port of the first network mechanism and sent from the second physical port to the transmission medium and subsequently to the first physical port of the second network mechanism, and
• at the second physical port of the first network mechanism, for data communicated via the second communication ring in the second direction, rerouting data received by the transmission medium to the first physical port of the first network mechanism and sent from the first physical port to the transmission medium and subsequently to the second physical port of the second network mechanism.