Method for efficiently retrieving topology-specific data for point-to-point networks

In one or more computers, a method of providing topology-specific data for a given point-to-point network, comprising:

• pre-computing by one or more of the computers and making available topology-specific data for each one of a plurality of selected point-to-point networks;
• calculating by one or more of the computers and making available, for each one of the plurality of selected point-to-point networks having a respective unique topology, a respective unique associated topology code that uniquely identifies the topology of that selected point-to-point network, wherein the associated topology code for each selected point-to-point network is calculated by:
• applying, to a graph representing the selected point-to-point network, a node-ordering algorithm that produces a set of node orderings;
• using the set of node orderings to produce adjacency matrices for the selected point-to-point network;
• using the adjacency matrices to produce candidate topology codes;
• and
• selecting, from the candidate topology codes, a topology code with a maximum value as the key for the selected point-to-point network;
• calculating by one or more of the computers a topology code for the given point-to-point network;
• using the calculated topology code for the given point-to-point network as a key to look up the pre-computed topology-specific data for any of the plurality of selected point-to-point networks for which the associated topology code is identical to the topology code for the given point-to-point network;
• and
• retrieving the looked-up pre-computed topology-specific data for the given point-to-point network.