COMMUNICATION METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AGGREGATES OF SEPARATE ENTITIES USING DATA/ MANAGEMENT PATH AND MAPPING PATH FOR IDENTIFYING ENTITIES AND MANAGING A COMMUNICATION NETWORK

A system and method for communication and management of an aggregate is provided including a plurality of separate entities, each entity residing in a separate environment. The system includes a data path which is provided as a common medium. Each of the entities is connected to the data path for exciting the medium with a signal. All entities connected to the common medium receive the signal. A mapping path is also provided. The mapping path is implemented as a multitude of point-to-point connections such that each entity is connected directly to another entity via a point-to-point connection or connected to a first entity by a point-to-point connection and connected to a second entity by a point-to-point connection. The connections provide a known topology, allowing identification of all entities adjacent to a given entity to establish mapped adjacent entities. From these mapped adjacent entities all entities adjacent to the mapped adjacent entities are mapped until all entities of the aggregate are mapped.