Hierarchical ring-based interconnection network for symmetric multiprocessors

A method of allocating tokens onto a token ring bus, comprising:

• dispensing a node token to a round robin arbiter by:
• loading a node token launch rate counter;
• decrementing the node token launch rate counter at an interval;
• determining that a value for the node token launch rate counter is zero;
• and
• in response to the node token launch rate being zero, sending a node token to the round robin arbiter;
• dispensing a group token to the round robin arbiter by:
• loading a group token launch rate counter;
• decrementing the group token launch rate counter at a second interval;
• determining that a value for the group token launch rate counter is zero;
• and
• in response to the group token launch rate being zero, sending a group token to the round robin arbiter;
• dispensing a system token to the round robin arbiter by:
• loading a system token launch rate counter;
• decrementing the system token launch rate counter at a third interval;
• determining that a value for the system token launch rate counter is zero;
• and
• in response to the group token launch rate being zero, sending a system token to the round robin arbiter;
• dispensing a link token to the round robin arbiter at a predetermined interval;
• and
• loading, by the round robin arbiter, the node token, the system token, the group token and the link token onto the token ring bus based on allocation, need and configuration of a command token dispenser agent.