System and method for self-identifying and configuring the nodes of a network

A system for use in identifying the topology of a network having a plurality of interconnected nodes, each node having a port for transfer of a packet to a next adjacent node in the network, said system comprising:

• an all-node address indicator for selective insertion in a field of the packet according to whether a node address of the next adjacent node is known, wherein when inserted in the field, the all-node address indicator causes the packet to be received by the next adjacent node in the network;
• each node having a port control register associated with said port which when set instructs the node to insert the all-node address indicator into the field of the packet before forwarding the packet to the next adjacent node in the network wherein said port control register is set when the next adjacent node has an unknown address;
• means for remotely, selectively setting the port control registers associated with the ports of the plurality of interconnected nodes, wherein said all-node address indicator causes the packet to be received by the next adjacent node in the network notwithstanding that said node address of the next adjacent node in the network is unknown when forwarding the packet;
• and
• wherein said port control register is not set when the next adjacent node has a known address.

A self-identifying network comprising:

• a plurality of interconnected nodes, each node having a port for transfer of a packet to a next adjacent node in the network;
• an all-node address indicator for selective insertion in a field of the packet according to whether a node address of the next adjacent node is known, wherein when inserted in the field, said all-node address indicator causes the packet to be received by a next adjacent node in the network notwithstanding that the next adjacent node has an unknown node address;
• automatic means for selectively inserting the all-node address indicator into said field of said packet at each node of the network with a known node address when said node with a known address has a next adjacent node with an unknown node address to access said next adjacent node and hence identify topology of the network;
• and
• wherein said automatic means for selectively inserting comprises means for not inserting the all-node address indicator when said node with a known address has a next adjacent node with a known address.

A method for identifying topology of a network having a plurality of interconnected nodes, each node having a port for transfer of a packet to a next adjacent node in the network, a given node of the plurality of interconnected nodes having a known node address and being connected to a next adjacent node, said method comprising:

• (a) sending a packet to the given node with known node address for output to the next adjacent node;
• (b) upon receipt of the packet at said given node, providing in the packet an all-node address indicator when said next adjacent node of said given node has an unknown node address, said all-node address indicator directing the packet to be received by any node of the plurality of interconnected nodes;
• (c) forwarding the packet from the given node to the next adjacent node with unknown node address, said packet having the all-node address indicator provided therein pursuant to said providing step (b), wherein upon receipt of the packet by the next adjacent node with unknown node address, the next adjacent node with unknown node address can be identified;
• and
• wherein said providing step (b) further comprises not providing the all-node address indicator in said packet when said next adjacent node has a known address.