A hybrid media access protocol for high-speed ring networks (fibre optic LAN)

A hybrid protocol is proposed for high bandwidth rings in which the roundtrip propagation delay is much larger than the packet transmission time. Features of random-access protocols and conflict-free protocols such as token passing are combined to achieve superior performance. The scheme permits simultaneous use of the channel by many packets, is fair to all stations, and is completely distributed. Performance results show that the system remains stable for throughputs up to a maximum of 1 and that the delay characteristics are better than those of related access protocols. The protocol additionally provides for reservation of bandwidth on demand and bounded delays for real-time applications.<
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