| 摘要 |
PCT No. PCT/GB95/01882 Sec. 371 Date Mar. 24, 1997 Sec. 102(e) Date Mar. 24, 1997 PCT Filed Aug. 9, 1995 PCT Pub. No. WO96/05704 PCT Pub. Date Feb. 22, 1996Data elements stored in a distributed data structure are accessible by means of a hierarchical routing network in which routes through the network to individual data elements are flagged. The network includes communicating links between nodes extending from a "root node" to a plurality of end nodes. The end nodes contain the data elements. To find a data element, a search message entering the network at an end node passes through the network towards the root node until it encounters a flagged route to the relevant data element. Thereafter it passes along the route to the end node containing the relevant data element. The invention is relevant to personal numbering services in a communications network. In this case, the data elements each comprise hardware addresses for users of the network. If a user moves in relation to the network, their hardware address will change and, in many cases, the relevant end node will also change. However, the flagged route consequently changes and the routing network therefore provides automatic tracing of the user. In the case of communication failure between a child and parent node, special system recovery techniques are used to establish a new parent node and to efficiently communicate the hierarchical change to other nodes as needed. |
