Step 4: Put everything together
We will now create several regions and join them with a backbone.
Build some regions as explained in previous tutorials, but instead of leaving a free ring 0 with a garbage collector, build a backbone router on the ring 0. A backbone router is just a router where BC8010 signs are replaced with BC8020 signs. In each region, we can have as many ring 0 as we wish, and thus connect as many backbone routers we want.
Let say we have 3 regions, we can build 2 or 3 backbone routers at the edge of the regions and link these backbone routers together with some new rings with no stations:
There are no more garbage collectors in regions, they were replaced by a backbone router, the garbage collector is connected to a backbone router now.
Although the recycling ring, from where we used to start the updaters, are replaced by backbone routers, we will launch our updaters from the same location, i.e with a backbone router in our back and a region router in front of us. If there are several backbone routers connected to a single region, we must choose only one location.
In each region, with a backbone router behind you, execute /bcupdater region n new with n being the number of the region.
When all the regions are configured, take place at the new recycling ring near a backbone router and execute /bcupdater backbone
Now any cart entering the network at any point (driving left) will reach its destination in any region. If another region must be reached, the nearest backbone router will be crossed to enter the backbone network.
Pick up an a destination address on BC9001 sign and test with a storage cart and the well-known command sendto. Test with command mego for travelling yourself in a cart.
A backbone network is a simple way to link regions together. Use a backbone in distant parts of the network, or if you can use fast tracks.
You can multiply backbone routers to improve connectivity.
Backbones and ring 0 don't have stations.