A new transparent bridging scheme, called the source dependent spanning tree (SDS), is presented in which bridges observe broadcast packets from active hosts to create the shortest path trees for these hosts dynamically. Issues related to packet forwarding in the presence of multiple trees are identified and algorithms for addressing these issues are presented. Some important properties of SDS, such as correctness, are described, and it is compared with previously proposed schemes. Under standard traffic assumptions, it is shown that SDS can achieve load sharing and shortest-path routing without incurring excessive storage and communication overheads.>

This paper discusses the design of a switch for high-speed computer networking at gigabit rates. We present the Pulsar switch, a non-blocking design based on a high-spin-rate, port-dedicated, word-parallel, shift-register ring. Several design alternatives address the problem of Head-Of-Line blocking. In contrast to Batcher-Banyan switches, access to the ring is asynchronous which facilitates low delay and arbitrary packet length. The switch can support ATM cells simultaneously with packets sized for applications such as single characters, memory words, disk blocks, memory pages, or video images. Pulsar can be used as a high-throughput computer backplane replacement. The design can be implemented with existing high-speed circuit technology.

Distributed shortest-path routing algorithms based on the Ford-Fulkerson method are simple to implement but they suffer from the cost-dependent looping problem: when link costs increase, routing table loops may form and convergence to correct paths may be too slow, depending on link costs. This problem can be eliminated if constraints are imposed on the order in which routing tables are updated at different nodes but the resulting internode protocols tend to be relatively complex. Furthermore, update constraints may restrict a node's ability to obtain alternate paths quickly in an environment where topology changes are frequent. In this paper, a new distributed shortest-path routing scheme based on the Ford-Fulkerson method is presented. Under the new scheme, each node uses partial topology information to eliminate the cost-dependent looping problem. No update constraints are imposed and no assumptions are made regarding link costs. In the worst case, the new scheme responds to link cost changes in O(D) update steps, where D is the diameter of the network after the occurrence of the changes.

This book comprises two distinct parts. The first five chapters form a standard exposition on logic design, while the remainder, which is of about the same length as the first part, deals with digital electronics. Each chapter is followed by a set of problems and references, and a lengthy bibliography is included as an Appendix.