This invention relates to an improved method of operation of telecommunication systems comprising at least one network where data in appropriate form is sent between node via links. It has particular but not exclusive application to LAN's, WLAN's such as Ethernet.

In a ring system, one span needs to be idle. This is controlled by a special node called a redundancy manager (RM) node whose function is to block a link adjacent to it. It does not send data along that link and ignores traffic to one of the spans. The role of the RM is governed by the configuration.

Every node belonging to a ring has two ports which make up part of the ring; one is called the primary port the other is called the secondary port. The RM normally blocks its secondary port. If there is an error caused by a failed link in the ring, the RM stops blocking the secondary port and checks if there are any errors in the ring, This is achieved by sending test packets around the ring and verifying if packets are received.

A problem with the prior art is that the RM often becomes overloaded and has to perform its role as RM as well its normal operational duties. The invention overcomes this problem.

The invention comprises, a method of managing a ring system comprising a number of processor nodes connected via links,

a) assigning one node as a redundancy manager

b) determining whether said redundancy manager node has a usage above a threshold, and if so c) the RM requesting an adjacent node to become the new RM and if so, the old RM opening its block link and the new RM

Thus the redundancy manager has the option to request to exchange the responsibility of keeping the loop open (is this after a block or anytime) by sending a request to the node directly connected to its second port. If the other node does not accept to be the new RM it waits a predetermined time before sending a new request. When the node accepts to become the new RM, it informs the old RM that it has accepted the request and starts protecting the domain, and e.g. sending test packets to ascertain the ring is intact.

In a preferred embodiment, after a certain number of packets received (sent by what received by what, what is the significance of "certain number of packets") the new RM requests to the old RM to stop its protection function and both reconfigure to themselves and inform the exchange to the network management software/control of the reconfiguration.

Figure 1 shows an example of the invention. Figure 1 shows a ring system 1 having a number of nodes 2, 3, 4 and 5, each node having responsibility for a number of servers. The redundancy manager 2 is one of the nodes and block one of its links to an adjacent node 3 such that in operation no data flows along that link, see figure 1a.

It is determined whether the RM work-rate is above a certain threshold i.e. if CPU usage is above a certain threshold. If yes, RM will request that adjacent node 3 becomes the new RM whose responsibility it is to manage the ring.

If it accepts, it will then become the new RM. See figure 1(b)

Figure 2 shows a flowchart showing the operation of a general operation of the invention.