Information network virtual backplane
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A virtual backplane for an information network interconnecting a plurality of computer elements comprising:
- a plurality of physical backplanes, each backplane interconnecting a plurality of cards, at least one card in each backplane interfacing at least one computer element;
a data interconnect comprising at least one group, at least one card in each backplane connected to at least one group;
at least one management processor supplying routing information to the plurality of cards; and
a network interconnecting the at least one management processor and the plurality of cards.
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Abstract
A virtual backplane includes a plurality of interconnected physical backplanes. Cards in each backplane provide an interface to various computer elements. A data interconnect forms at least one group of interconnected cards, with at least one card in each backplane connected to at least one of the data interconnect groups. A management processor supplies routing information to the cards through a network.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A virtual backplane for an information network interconnecting a plurality of computer elements comprising:
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a plurality of physical backplanes, each backplane interconnecting a plurality of cards, at least one card in each backplane interfacing at least one computer element; a data interconnect comprising at least one group, at least one card in each backplane connected to at least one group; at least one management processor supplying routing information to the plurality of cards; and a network interconnecting the at least one management processor and the plurality of cards. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A virtual backplane for an information network interconnecting a plurality of computer elements comprising:
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a plurality of physical backplanes, each backplane interconnecting a plurality of cards, at least one card in each backplane interfacing at least one computer element; a data interconnect interconnecting at least one card in each backplane; at least one management processor in communication with each data card, the at least one management processor operative to (a) generate a segment number for each backplane, the segment number permitting each card to generate a unique address, (b) send to each card the segment number of the backplane holding the card, (c) automatically generate a routing table for each card, the routing table specifying at least one card to which information is forwarded on route to any other card, and (d) send the routing table to each card. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of communicating between cards, each card associated with one of a plurality of backplanes, the method comprising:
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interconnecting each backplane to at least one other backplane through a data interconnect, each set of cards interconnected by the data interconnect forming a group; generating a unique segment address for each backplane and each group; and determining a routing table for each card based on at least one segment to which the card is associated, each routing table specifying at least one next card to route information for every other destination card. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A method of communicating between cards, each card associated with a backplane, at least one card in each backplane connected to a data interconnect, the method comprising:
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determining, in a management processor, a routing table for each card, the routing table specifying to which card information is to be routed for each destination card, the routing table determined based on the backplane to which each card is associated; distributing each card routing table to the card through a communication network connecting each card with the management processor; and routing information received by each card based on the card routing table. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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Specification