Responsive routing control method and apparatus

Claim 3

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one alternative routing table is accessible to the node, and step b) comprises the steps of: b1) locating an entry in the at least one current routing table that would cause the receiving port to route the data packet directly back to the sending node; and b2) replacing the entry with an alternate entry in the at least one alternative routing table that would not cause the receiving port to route the data packet directly back to the sending node.

Claim 4

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one current routing table comprises a node routing table and multiple port routing tables, and step b) comprises the steps of: b1) performing modifications to node routing table entries so that the receiving port will not route the data packet directly back to the sending node, resulting in modified entries; b2) sending the modified entries to the multiple port routing tables; and b3) changing port routing table entries according to the modified entries.

Claim 5

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the node has multiple ports, each of the multiple ports supports a communication link, each of the multiple ports accesses a separate port routing table, and step b) comprises the step of performing the modifications, by each of the multiple ports, to the entries in the separate port routing table, resulting in a modified routing table for each of the multiple ports.

Claim 6

The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising the step of changing the separate port routing table according to at least one update command which instructs the node to alter the separate port routing table.

Claim 7

The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of changing the at least one current routing table according to at least one update command which instructs the node to alter the at least one current routing table.

Claim 8

The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising the step of receiving the at least one update command from a control facility prior to the changing step.

Claim 11

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.

Claim 12

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.

Claim 13

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.

Claim 14

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.

Claim 15

The routing apparatus as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a central processor, coupled to the port, for controlling modifications to the port routing table.

Claim 16

The routing apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the port further comprises a memory device, coupled to the processor, for storing the port routing table.