Integrated network switch having universal shelf architecture with flexible shelf mapping
First Claim
1. An integrated network switch comprising:
- a plurality of peripheral shelves, each having a plurality of ports for respective peripheral devices;
a common control;
an interface disposed between the common control and the peripheral shelves;
a plurality of switching means included in said common control, each having switch ports for selectively inter-connecting ports corresponding to said peripheral devices;
means for identifying each of said plurality of switch means;
means for identifying a peripheral shelf as an identified peripheral shelf, including a shelf type of said identified peripheral shelf and port numbers associated with the identified peripheral shelf;
means for identifying available switch means of said common control for ports associated with each shelf to be connected to the switch means; and
means for dynamically designating ports of the identified peripheral shelf to switch ports of the available switch means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An integrated network switch is disclosed. The network includes a plurality of peripheral shelves, each having a plurality of ports for respective peripheral devices, and a common control. An interface is disposed between the common control and the peripheral shelves- A plurality of switches are included in the common control, each having switch ports for selectively interconnecting ports corresponding to the peripheral devices. Each of the switches has an assigned identification and each of the peripheral shelves has an assigned identification, including a shelf type and port numbers associated with the identified peripheral shelf. Provision is made for identifying an available switch, for ports associated with each shelf to be connected to the switch. Also, provision is made for dynamically designating ports of the identified peripheral shelf to switch ports of the available switch.
26 Citations
22 Claims
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1. An integrated network switch comprising:
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a plurality of peripheral shelves, each having a plurality of ports for respective peripheral devices; a common control; an interface disposed between the common control and the peripheral shelves; a plurality of switching means included in said common control, each having switch ports for selectively inter-connecting ports corresponding to said peripheral devices; means for identifying each of said plurality of switch means; means for identifying a peripheral shelf as an identified peripheral shelf, including a shelf type of said identified peripheral shelf and port numbers associated with the identified peripheral shelf; means for identifying available switch means of said common control for ports associated with each shelf to be connected to the switch means; and means for dynamically designating ports of the identified peripheral shelf to switch ports of the available switch means.
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2. An integrated network switch comprising:
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a plurality of peripheral shelves, each having a plurality of ports arranged in groups, each port group associated with a a plurality of peripheral devices; a plurality of interfaces connected to a plurality of busses for coupling a common control and the peripheral shelves, said common control including a plurality of switch means for selectively interconnecting ports of said port groups; means for identifying each peripheral shelf by at least a shelf identifier and associated port numbers; and means for dynamically assigning the associated ports of an identified shelf to an available switch means of said common control. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. For use in an integrated network switch which includes a plurality of ports arranged in groups, each port group associated with a peripheral shelf, said switch including a common control connected by communication bus to interfaces for coupling said common control and peripheral shelves, said common control including a plurality of switch means for selectively interconnecting ports of said port groups, a method for dynamically assigning ports of the peripheral shelves to selected switch means comprising the steps of:
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identifying each peripheral shelf by at least a shelf identifier and port numbers associated with the peripheral shelf, and assigning ports of a shelf to a switch means each time a shelf is added to the integrated network. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. In an integrated network switch including a plurality of ports, said ports being arranged in port groups each port group associated with a peripheral shelf for peripheral devices, said switch including a common control and interfaces between the common control and peripheral shelves, said common control including a plurality switching means for selectively connecting ports corresponding to said peripheral devices on a shelf to ports corresponding to other peripheral devices;
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means for identifying each of said plurality of switch means; means for identifying peripheral shelf including a shelf type and port numbers associated with the shelf; means for identifying available switch means for ports associated with each shelf to be connected to the switch means; and means for dynamically designating ports of a shelf to a switch means, comprising means for assigning a shelf number to each peripheral shelf which is to be mapped to a switch means and storing that shelf number along with the identification of the shelf, means for assigning a free interface to the shelf to be mapped and storing the assignment, and means for coupling the interface to a switching means; and wherein said means for assigning a free interface to the shelf to be mapped comprises, means for identifying the interface type associated with the shelf to be mapped, means for determining if the shelf group of the shelf to be mapped has been assigned an interface, means for assigning the shelf to be mapped to the previously assigned interface of the shelf group if ports of that interface remain available and assigning the shelf to an available interface if the shelf group of the shelf to be mapped has not been assigned an interface or if no free ports are available at the interface previously assigned to the shelf group.
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Specification