Multiple-Ring Architecture and its FDDI Applications

This paper discusses a networking concept referred to as Multiple-Ring Architecture MRA. In FDDI reliability applications, MRA is an attractive alternative to the popular dual homing architecture for the following reason. Unlike the requirement of several reliable concentrators needed in the dual homing architecture, the MRA only requires several routing interfaces at each backbone node i.e., at each router node different fiber cables and networks share the same set of routers, creating a set of highly fault tolerant networks of low overall cost and complexity.