| 摘要 |
A system includes a plurality of computers interconnected by a network including one or more switching nodes. The computers transfer messages over virtual circuits established thereamong. A computer, as a source computer for one or more virtual circuit(s), schedules transmission of messages on a round-robin basis as among the virtual circuit s for which it is source computer. Each switching node which forms part of a path for respective virtual circuits also forwards messages for virtual circuits in a round-robin manner, and, a computer, as a destination computer for one or more virtual circuit(s), schedules processing of receive d messages in a round- robin manner. Round-robin transmission, forwarding and processing at the destination provides a degree of fairness in message transmission as among the virtual circuits established over the network. In addition, messages are transmitted in one or more cells, with the round- robin transmission being on a cell basis, so as to reduce delays which may occur for short messages i f a long messages were transmitted in full for one virtual circuit before beginning transmission of a short message for another virtual circuit. For each virtual circuit, the destination computer and each switching node along the path for the virtual circuit can generate a virtual circuit flow control message for transmission to the source computer to temporarily limit transmission over the virtual circuit i f the amount of resources being taken up by messages for the virtual circuit exceeds predetermined thresholds, further providing fairness as among the virtual circuits. In addition, each switchin g node or computer can generate link flow control messages for transmission to neighboring devices in the network to temporarily limit transmission thereto if the amount of resources taken up b y all virtual circuits exceeds predetermined thresholds, so as to reduce the likelihood of message loss.
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