An integrated self-healing algorithm for dual-ring data networks

Dual-ring networks are known to provide higher throughputs and reliability than other competing ring technologies. Resilient Packet Ring (RPR) is a Media Access Control (MAC) layer protocol that operates over a double counter-rotating ring network topology. RPR is designed to enhance Synchronous Digital Hierarchy(SDH) in order to handle data traffic more efficiently. Since Intelligent Protection Switching(IPS) is one of the key technologies in ring networks. RPR provides two intelligent protection algorithms: steering and wrapping. While wrapping in RPR in essence inherits the automatic protection switching(APS) algorithm of SDH, it also wastes the bandwidth on the wrapping ringlets and may result in severe congestion. Whereas steering in RPR provides high bandwidth utilization, its switching speed is low because that it is indeed a high layer's restoration algorithm. In this paper, an effective algorithm integrated self-healing(ISH) algorithm for RPR is proposed. which synthesizes the merits of the two algorithms by transporting healing signal and computing routing in MAC layer. At last, the performance of ISH algorithm is analyzed and simulated.