Method and apparatus for managing communications between multi-node quota-based communication systems

摘要

A first and second multi-node communication path are connected via a bridge node. Each path employs a quota allocation scheme for access thereto by the nodes thereon. A first quota allocation signal is propagated on the first path and a second quota allocation signal is propagated on the second path, the second signal controlling access to the second path for the purpose of transmitting information to the bridge node destined for the first path. The quota allocation signals are synchronized to ensure that there is at most one circulation of the second signal for each circulation of the first. Information from the first path to the second path is deflected from the bridge node and around the first path if the bridge node is full. If the information is transmitted in sequenced packets, a deflected packet is assigned a deflection number. The bridge node tracks deflections via the deflection numbers.