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A network includes a space chattering mechanism for maximizing server throughput under overload conditions. The server provides control messages to various network traffic sources, which can require differing control instructions.

A network includes a space chattering mechanism for maximizing server throughput under overload conditions. The server provides control messages to various network traffic sources, which can require differing control instructions.

A network includes a space chattering mechanism for maximizing server throughput under overload conditions. The server provides control messages to various network traffic sources, which can require differing control instructions.

A method is provided for designing a hierarchical architecture for a synchronous optical network (SONET) given a plurality of demand nodes at which communications traffic originates and at least one destination node at which the communications traffic is collected for transmission to a switch. The method includes the steps of: (a) dividing the plurality of demand nodes into distinct groups of demand nodes; (b) selecting at least one node for each group to serve as a ring hub for connection to a backbone ring; (c) designing a backbone ring topology that includes at least the ring hubs and the destination node; (d) designing an access ring topology for each of the demand node groups so that the backbone ring and access ring topologies constitute a preliminary network topology; (e) evaluating a cost associated with the preliminary network topology; (f) selecting at least one alternative ring hub to provide a new set of ring hubs; (g) repeating steps (c)-(e) for the new set of ring hubs to determine if a resulting network cost estimate is reduced; (h) repeating steps (f)-(g) until a minimum cost network topology is produced. Other aspects of the invention are directed to hub and spoke topology design and SONET transport design.