A method and apparatus for replicating instances of cache nodes in a cluster is described. Contacting elements are provided, in at least one embodiment, that are suitable for the fuel cell system with a certain flexibility in addition to electrical conductivity for continuous operation. A laser outputs an optical signal in response to being excited by the data protocol signal, with the optical signal being converted to an electrical signal which is low-pass filtered to produce a signal based on the first and second bit patterns.