Importance

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Abstract

Message-routing apparatus is known for routing messages between a plurality of communications networks. Typically, the known apparatus comprises a respective network interface card for each communications network and a shared, processor-based, routing manager with which the cards communicate through a backplane bus system. In order to overcome the bandwidth limitations of such known apparatus, the present invention provides a local routing manager on each card and high-speed, point-to-point, links interconnecting the local routing managers in a closed loop. Each local routing manager recognizes whether a message passed to it is for outward transmission over the associated network; if this is not the case, the message is passed to the local routing manager of the next card. Any messages which the local routing managers are unable to route, are diverted to a shared routing manager.

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First Claim