US 5,319,644 A · Method and apparatus for identifying port/station relationships in a network

Abstract

A method and apparatus for associating stations to a port on a network concentrator. The network concentrator implements a network having a Ring based topology. Associating stations to ports provides for the coupling of multiple stations to a single port. Three maps are created which describe the network, a port map, a station map and an exit station map. The port map identifies the ports having one or more stations coupled to it. The station map identifies each station in the network. The exit station map identifies for each port with a station coupled to it, the station which transmits data into the port. By identifying the stations between two exit stations on adjacent ports in the network concentrator, the stations coupled to a port are determined. The identification of exit stations is facilitated by the use of an exit station detection circuit located at the port.

Claims13

Dependent claims

In a network having stations coupled through a network concentrator, said network concentrator having a plurality of host modules, each host module defining a plurality of ports, said ports for coupling one or more stations to said network concentrator, a method for identifying stations coupled to a port, said method comprising the steps of:

a) generating a station map of all the stations coupled to said network concentrator;
b) generating a port map of ports to which stations are coupled;
c) generating an exit station map which identifies an exit station for each of said ports in said port map, said exit station being a station which transmits data into a corresponding port;
d) for a first port to which stations are coupled, identifying an immediately upstream port to which stations are coupled from said port map;
e) identifying an exit station for said first port and an exit station for said immediately upstream port from said exit station map;
and
f) identifying stations between said exit station for said immediately upstream port and said exit station for said first port from said station map, wherein said identified stations are coupled to said first port.

4 more elements

A network concentrator for interconnecting stations together in a network having a ring topology, said network concentrator comprising:

communication transmission means for transmitting communication transmissions between stations connected to said network concentrator and further for transmitting network information generated by a host module, to a processing means;
at least one host module coupled to said communication transmission means, said at least one host module for coupling stations to said network concentrator, said at least one host module having one or more ports;
said one or more ports of a host module for electrically connecting at least one station to said host module, each of said one or more ports having a means for identifying an exit station for a corresponding port;
and
said processing means for performing network management functions for said network including generating a station map, a port map and an exit station map from said network information, said station map for identifying all the stations coupled to said network concentrator;
said port map for identifying all ports on said concentrator which have a station connected thereto and said exit station map for identifying all exit stations coupled to said network concentrator, said processing means further for determining the stations coupled to each of said one or more ports.

3 more elements

A network comprising:

a network concentrator for interconnecting stations in a ring topology using a network protocol, said network concentrator comprising a plurality of ports for attaching one or more stations and a processing means;
a plurality of stations each coupled to one of said plurality of ports of said network concentrator;
means for identifying stations coupled to a port of said network concentrator;
and
each of said plurality of ports is further comprised of means for identifying an exit station for a corresponding port comprising:
means for detecting a communication transmission;
means for identifying said communication transmission as a polling frame;
means for extracting a source address from said polling frame;
storage means for storing said source address;
means for extracting a frame status field from said polling frame and determining the source station of said polling frame, and
means for providing said source address to said means for identifying stations coupled to a port of said network concentrator, if said source station of said polling frame is an exit station.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for identifying port/station relationships in a network

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for identifying port/station relationships in a network

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13