The token grid: multidimensional media access for local and metropolitan networks

A token grid network in which media access is performed over a two-dimensional mesh is introduced. In the resulting system, each station is two-connected and has the same transmission hardware and small station latency as in a dual token ring. In the token grid, however, the total system throughput may be many factors larger than that which is possible in a dual token ring. This advantage increases with the normalized end-to-end propagation delay. In the results presented, the uniform load capacity of the token grid grows with the size of the network. In addition, the token grid can take advantage of communities-of-interest amongst the stations. It is possible to implement the system in such a way as to achieve robust operation in the presence of station and link failures