Chapter 200 - A Network Problem
"It's not so hard to use a single cable for several places to communicate. Simply put, you just make the formations that send the ssage to have a specific signal in front of them."
Droman's eyes lit up.
"You an like an identification?"
Rean was happy to see how fast he understood.
"Hahaha! Exactly! For example. We have two places in our sect that have communication formations, right? Let's give them a number. The Mission Hall will be Number 01, and the Affairs Office will be Number 02. Suppose soone in Majorias City wants to send a ssage to the Mission Hall. His Formation will then add a signal representing the number 01 together with the signal of the ssage."
"Since both the Mission Hall and the Affairs Office are using the sa cable for communication, both of them will receive the signal. However, only the communication formation in the Mission Hall will display the ssage since it has the number 01 in front. The Formation of the Affairs Office will completely ignore that signal since it was made to only display signals that had the number 02 in front."
"That's not all. At to mont, you guys are all doing a one way only communication system. If soone is using a cable to send a ssage, the other side has to wait before answering it back. Otherwise, both signals will bump on each other on the way, making it impossible for both sides to receive the ssage."
"However, you are already doing a two cables project, right? Make one of the cables being able to only send information while the other only receives. With Elder Droman's mastery of formations, I know who can definitely modify the existing formations for this purpose. After all, they are simple Lightning Type formations. You just need to work on different outputs of Electrical Currents that are used as Signals."
Droman couldn't help but feel excited about the idea. In theory, it should really work. That ans they will be able to connect all the important places in the Dalamu Sect while using just two cables instead of tens or hundreds of them. How good would it be? Just how much better and efficient would this communication system beco? But it was then that Droman thought about a problem.
"Wait, but what will happen if two places decide to send a ssage at the sa ti? I know that the ti needed for a signal to be sent is extrely small. It's even less than a hundredth of a second. That being said, the chances of two signals encountering each other when they enter the sa cable is minimal. Still, the chance exists."
Rean heard that and had to admit that it was a problem. Electrical signals don't recognize which direction to take. Suppose you have three buildings in Majorias City that want to send an electrical signal to Dalamu. At the mont, those three buildings' formations are connected to the sa cable that goes to Dalamu Sect. In that case, when one of them sends an electrical signal, it will not go to the Dalamu Sect only. That signal will also enter those other two Buildings' Cables since they are also connected. That ans that this specific signal will move in the opposite direction when it goes to the other two buildings. If, by chance, soone on those other two buildings tries to send a ssage at that exact mont, this ssage signal will collide with the previous signal that was coming in its direction.
One must rember that Rean's knowledge about electrical signals is not that great. After all, he was a tallurgist. The things he knows about electronic equipnt are the sa as any college student would know back on Earth. If you asked Rean to build a circuit, he wouldn't know where to even start. Obviously, he didn't think that far about it. Also, Droman's concern was valid as it could be. Although the chances of such a thing happening are low at the mont, it will increase as more and more cities are added to the web.
'If things continue like this, they will suffer the thing that most of the gars back on Earth feared the most, the loss of packets...'
Rean lost count of how many tis he heard his classmates complaining that their internet connection was terrible. Things like too many people in the sa connection or not enough bandwidth because soone's sister watched whatever video. There wouldn't be space for the communication to work its wonders.
However, Rean wasn't dumb as he was in his previous life due to his soul problem. Besides, he has sothing that Earth doesn't. Spiritual Energy and several skilled Formations Masters, Droman included, that could work on his ideas. That being said, he quickly thought about two solutions to this problem.
"Elder Droman, I'm happy to see that you could think that far about the communication system. Even I let that point pass without noticing it. However, I have two possible solutions for it. One is cheap and easier to be implented. However, this cheap one will not resolve the root of the problem. Not to ntion that it will bring other issues to the table too. Still, it works."
"The second one would probably resolve this issue for good. However, this one will definitely be a lot more complicated. I don't even know whether the Formations Master, Elder Droman included, would be able to realize this idea of mine or not. Not to ntion that it would definitely be more expensive."
"Which one would you require?"
Droman narrowed his eyes. This is an enormous project. Obviously, the sect was spending a lot on it. If they could cut costs, that would be the best-case scenario. However, Droman deeply hated half-assed jobs. He is the head of the Formations Masters Hall. He always did his very best when it ca to formations. Just hearing about this 'cheap solution that won't really resolve the main root of the problem' already made him feel goosebumps.
"Before I make a decision, what are the two solutions?"
Rean nodded and then explained.
"The first solution is the 'answer requirent modification.' Elder Droman, you know very well that the signals travel at extrely high speeds. It can make its way from Majorias City all the way to Dalamu Sect in a hundredth of a second. That being said, you will need to make one more simple modification to the formations. It is quite straight forward. Once a formation sends a signal, it will also require an answer from the other side's targeted Formation."
"That being said, make it a three seconds requirent or sothing like that. This 'answer' is basically the receiving Formation sending a signal back to the sender saying 'I received this signal from you' kind of ssage."
Droman imdiately understood what Rean ant.
"I see... If the sender's Formation doesn't get this answer in three seconds, it will try to send the ssage one more."
Rean nodded.
"Exactly. However, I believe Elder Droman can already tell what's the problem with this solution, right?"
Droman sighed as he confird Rean's suspicions.
"Yes. The problem is in the 'answering ssage.' Suppose this 'answer' bumps on another ssage on the way. In that case, the 'sender formation' will not receive the 'answer' even though the ssage was transmitted correctly. Once that happens, the 'sender formation' will once again resend the sa ssage. It will then continue to do this until it finally gets an answer."
Rean nodded his head, satisfied.
"It is indeed a lot better to talk with intelligent people like elder Droman."
"Hmph! Don't think you can win
over with flattering."
Even though he said that, it would be a lie if he said he wasn't happy. He, too, is loving this conversation about new types of formations. It is an entirely new branch never used before. The proof of it was that even the Imperial family was delighted to hear about it and heavily rewarded their sect for that.
Rean wasn't trying to flatter Elder Droman, though. He really thought that this man was a lot more quick-witted than others. It was clearly the fruits of working in complex formations during his entire life.
"Anyway, the problem with this solution doesn't stop there. Because of the continuous tries of failed answers, all the formations will keep trying more and more. Once a lot of cities are added to our web, the formations might overload with information. Ultimately, more and more failed answer will accumulate, making the number of tis the sender tries to send their ssages increase. It will reach a point of no more space on the communication system's cables, and the network will crash."
"Network? What is that?"
Rean was taken aback by a second. Only now he rembered that this word doesn't exist in this place.
"Ahem... that's just a na I ca up with to describe the whole system. If Elder Droman has a better idea, I don't mind using yours."
Droman shook his head, though.
"It's okay. For so reason, I feel like this na fits perfectly. You have quite a good sense for nas, young man."
Rean scratched the back of his head after hearing that. If just it was really his idea... Too bad, he is just a copycat. Everything he said so far was based on the things he experienced in his previous life.
"Errr... Anyway... I believe Elder Droman understands why this solution is cheap, but at the sa ti, far from perfect."
Droman nodded his head vigorously. He could already see the formations literally breaking down because of the issue. Unless the other idea is impossible to realize, he definitely won't take this one.
"Then, what's the second solution?"
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