Algorithm for traffic balancing in Ethernet ring networks

For today the majority data networks are working on technology Ethernet, and used in a ring topology, thereby allowing optimal network reliability. Most of the equipment of such networks is access switches having from 8 to 48 ports for connecting subscribers. Such switches usually only work with frames, that is level 2 model OSI. But such a construction, in addition to simplicity, reliability and low cost, has its drawbacks, such as the possibility of Ethernet storms that can bring the entire network. The process of storms underlies at technology of Ethernet, namely in the absence of the removal mechanism of broadcast frames from the exclusive network. Consequently, this technology does not allow the existence of more than one communication switching channel between the two points exchanging information. For protection from storms special protocols to block redundant switching channels between the communications equipment are used. There are quite a lot of such protocols today, such as STP, PVSTP, RSTP, but the most common is MSTP. But they all have the same function, based on the finding of redundant channels of communication between the two switches. In finding happens, block all but one, selected on the basis of comparison of parameters based on the coefficients dependent on the bandwidth of the channel. Thereby, there is prohibition of the transmission of traffic on all channels except the selected one. Based on the basic principle these protocols impose restrictions on the use of all possible communication channels. This approach results in an inefficient allocation of all available bandwidth in the network. To solve this problem, we developed an algorithm that gives an opportunity to use all available network bandwidth, if it needs, without affecting to the quality of service for existing subscribers. Our algorithm uses the built-in mechanisms in existing protocols, thereby it allows at low changes improving the efficiency of the network to be almost doubled.