US 9,426,094 B2 · Network arrangement having network devices coupled to one another in a ring topology

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for operating a network arrangement including multiple network devices that are coupled to each other in a ring structure. Each network device includes a control device and a switch device with at least two ports for coupling to a communication path. During operation, at least two VLANs are simultaneously provided in the ring structure, and the sending of a data packet from the control device of a selected network device is performed via a port of the switch device in one of the two VLANs. In order to achieve this, the other port of the switch device of the selected network device is deactivated for the one VLAN. By using two VLANs, a redundant and reliable data transmission may be achieved. A destabilization of the VLANs in the network ring is prevented by the targeted deactivation of specific ports of the sending network device.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A method for operating a network arrangement that comprises a plurality of network devices coupled to one another in a ring topology, wherein each network device has a control device and a switch device comprising at least two ports for coupling to a communications path, the method comprising:

providing, simultaneously, a first virtual local area network (VLAN) and a second VLAN in the ring topology;
sending a data packet from the control device of a sending network device of the plurality of network devices via a first port of a selected switch device into the first VLAN;
disabling a second port of the selected switch device of the sending network device for the first VLAN;
and
disabling an additional port belonging to an additional switch device for the first VLAN of a second network device receiving the data packet via the first VLAN, wherein the additional port is coupled via the second VLAN to the second port of the selected switch device of the sending network device.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Network arrangement having network devices coupled to one another in a ring topology

Life of this patent

Network arrangement having network devices coupled to one another in a ring topology

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17