Patent ID: 6628649
Filing Date: 2003-09-30
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A data communications device comprising:a data switch mechanism, the data switch mechanism including: i) at least one port for receiving data; ii) at least one port for transmitting data; iii) data switch resources for receiving data and transmitting data; and a plurality of switch control mechanisms coupled to the data switching mechanism, wherein the data switch resources are distributed into a plurality of partitions, each partition providing resources for concurrently and independently supporting at least one respective data route between the at least one port for receiving data and the at least one port for transmitting data, and each of the plurality of partitions including an interface allowing that partition to be concurrently and independently controlled by a respective switch control mechanism and each of the plurality of switch control mechanisms couples to the data switching mechanism via a respective interface of a partition and each concurrently and independently operates according to at least one connection routing protocol to advertise a respective route for data through the respective partition of the data switch resources.