Responsive routing control method and apparatus

A method for controlling message routing through a communication system, the communication system comprising multiple nodes which communicate through communication links, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) routing, by a receiving port of a node, data packets in accordance with at least one current routing table accessible by the receiving port, wherein routing the data packets involves determining, based on the at least one current routing table, to which transmitting port of the node the data packets should be sent;
• b) executing at least one update command comprising information required for the node to change one or more entries of the at least one current routing table, the information having been created after making a determination, for each entry of the one or more entries, whether a routing command included in the entry will cause the receiving port to route a data packet directly back to a sending node which sent the data packet;
• c) changing the one or more entries in the at least one current routing table according to the at least one update command so that the one or more entries, once changed, will cause the receiving port not to route the data packet directly back to the sending node, resulting in at least one modified routing table;
• and
• d) routing the data packets according to the at least one modified routing table.

A routing apparatus for routing data packets through a communication system, the routing apparatus comprising:

• a central processor for controlling routing of incoming data packets received by and outgoing data packets sent by the routing apparatus, and for determining, for entries within a node routing table, whether a routing command included in each of the entries will cause the node to route the incoming data packets directly back to a sending node that sent the incoming data packets, and for modifying the entries so that the entries will cause the receiving port not to route the data packets directly back to the sending node, and for further modifying the node routing table to avoid a failed communication link, wherein the node routing table originated from a control facility;
• at least one port, coupled to the central processor, wherein when a port is functioning as a receiving port which receives the incoming data packets, the port uses the node routing table to determine to which transmitting port to send the incoming data packets, a port supporting a communication link and including:
• a port processor for controlling a receiving device and a transmitting device;
• the receiving device, coupled to the port processor, for receiving the incoming data packets from the communication link;
• and
• the transmitting device, coupled to the port processor, for sending the outgoing data packets across the communication link.

A routing apparatus for routing data packets through a communication system, the routing apparatus comprising:

• a memory device for storing a port routing table which originated from a control facility;
• and
• at least one port, wherein a port of the at least one port is coupled to the memory device and supports a communication link and has
• a processor for controlling routing of incoming data packets received by and outgoing data packets sent by the port, and for determining, for entries within the port routing table, whether a routing command included in each of the entries will cause the receiving port to route a data packet directly back to a sending node which sent the data packet, and for modifying the entries so that the entries will cause the receiving port not to route the data packet directly back to the sending node,
• a receiving device, coupled to the processor, for receiving the incoming data packets from the communication link, and
• a transmitting device, coupled to the processor, for sending the outgoing data packets across the communication link.