> A normally-closed relay automatically takes "off" devices out
> of the ring.
>
>   
of course you want to put the relay under software control and 
preferablly have some kind of watchdog timer setup so a booting or hung 
node doesn't block the ring and insertion can be as clean as possible.
> I think the obnoxious patents associated with token rings are
> primarily concerned with the "token" part; a non-token ring
> is probably patent-free.
>   
given the age of token ring technology are any of the patents on it 
still valid?


I think the point of the token is to enforce some degree of fairness. 
Otherwise a node may introduce so much data into the ring that nothing 
else can transmit.

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