Sorry to keep you waiting but these graphics are needed to illustrate my point. This is a rather sloppy representation of a global information sharing network. Otherwise known as the internet. Though the internet is much more advanced and uses thousands more nodes this example will work for our prposes. Now the purpose of the Internet is to be able to swap information even when part of the network is damaged. Let's say all the nodes in central Europe are destroyed due to a nuclear attack. The other nodes will compensate by sending the data around the damaged system. It works something like this:

One node has a data packect to send onto another. It first transmits a call-request packet,(dark blue) if a call-accept(light blue) is sent back it will transmit the data packet keeping a copy of it for itself. When the other node recieves the packet it will scan it and check it for damaged or corrupted data. It will then send a acknowledgement packet(green) back to the first node. Then by checking the packets header it will determine where to send it next and the process repeats untill the data gets to it's destination. On reciving the confirmation packet the first node will delete it's backup copy of the data packet.

In the event that something should go wrong the system will adapt. Should the first node not respond to a call request packet, the sender node will keep sending request packets to other nodes untill it get an accept packet. This allows breaks in the network to be navigated around. Should adata packet not arrive intact the sender node canresend it based on the back up copy.

The great thing about this form of network is it does not just work well for the internet. It can be used by any form of network, no matter how large or how small.

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