Methods for assigning rings in a network

A method for managing a plurality of nodes in a network, comprising:

• designating as a hub a node from the plurality of nodes;
• assigning to a final set a cycle having a size n or smaller and accessing a predetermined number of hubs;
• assigning to a cycle set a cycle having a size n or smaller;
• if the cycle set does not include the plurality of nodes, increasing n by one and assigning to the cycle set a cycle that accesses at least one of the nodes not in the cycle set and has a size n, until the cycle set includes the plurality of nodes;
• moving from the cycle set to the final set a cycle that accesses a node that is accessed by only the cycle;
• if the final set does not include the plurality of nodes, moving a remaining cycle from the cycle set to the final set, wherein the remaining cycle carries a largest intracycle traffic among cycles in the cycle set, until the final set includes the plurality of nodes;
• and
• designating cycles in the final set as the cycles connecting the plurality of nodes in the network.

A method for managing a plurality of nodes in a network, comprising:

• designating as a hub a node from the plurality of nodes;
• assigning to a cycle set a cycle having a size n or smaller;
• if the cycle set does not include the plurality of nodes, increasing n by one and assigning to the cycle set a cycle that accesses at least one of the nodes not in the cycle set and has a size n, until the cycle set includes the plurality of nodes;
• moving from the cycle set to a final set a cycle that accesses a node that is accessed by only the cycle;
• if the final set does not include the plurality of nodes and there is a hub in the cycle set, moving a remaining cycle from the cycle set to the final set, wherein the remaining cycle carries a largest intracycle traffic among cycles in the cycle set and accesses a predetermined number of hubs, until the final set includes the plurality of nodes or until there are no hubs in the cycle set;
• if the final set does not include the plurality of nodes, moving a remaining cycle from the cycle set to the final set, wherein the remaining cycle carries a largest intracycle traffic among cycles in the cycle set, until the final set includes the plurality of nodes;
• and
• designating cycles in the final set as cycles connecting the plurality of nodes in the network.