System, Computer Program Product and Method in a Node for Optimizing the Topology of a Virtual Ring Based Upon a TCP/IP Network

摘要

The present invention is directed to a method, system and computer program as defined in independent claims, for optimizing the topology of a virtual ring used to multicast datagrams within a network comprising a transport layer protocol providing end to end data transfer, each node on the virtual ring being logically connected according to the network transport layer protocol to two and only two neighbour nodes through virtual connections, an upstream neighbour node and a downstream neighbour node. The method to use in a virtual ring manager node, comprises the steps of: receiving an insertion request message for inserting a new node into the virtual ring; determining for each node on the virtual ring a distance to the new node; selecting the node on the virtual ring whose distance to the new node is the shortest; selecting between the upstream node and the downstream node of the previously selected node, the node whose distance to the new node is the shortest; inserting into the virtual ring, the new node between said two selected nodes.