bus 160 in the network of fig1 two sub networks 150 and 152 are coupled to one another via device 106 in one embodiment each sub network 150 and 152 uses an arbitration scheme to control access to a shared bus sub network 150 includes workstations 110 server 120 disk array 130 and device 102 in the embodiment shown workstations 110 server 120 and device 102 are all coupled to a common bus 140 in a centralized arbitration scheme devices which are connected to a bus and are capable of initiating transactions on that bus such a device is commonly referred to as a u201c bus master u201d must first request access to the bus before initiating a transaction a centralized arbiter monitors all requests for access to the bus and grants a particular bus master control of the bus according to some algorithm as an example server 120 may be configured to act as a central arbiter for sub network 150 if workstations 110 a and 110 b both require access to a storage device in workstation 110 c workstations 110 a and 110 b may both assert a bus request signal server 120 acting as arbiter may receive the bus requests from workstations 110 a and 110 b server.