Patent ID: 7293076
Filing Date: 2007-11-06
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of assigning a shelf identifier to a shelf in a network element having a plurality of shelves, the method comprising the steps of: a) physically connecting a shelf link cable between a controller shelf and the shelf in the network element, said shelf link cable carrying a dedicated point-to-point channel and a shared communications channel bundled together in said shelf link cable; b) the controller shelf assigning a connection identifier to the shelf link cable, the connection identifier corresponding to an identifier of a port associated with the controller shelf to which the shelf link cable is connected; c) the controller shelf communicating the connection identifier assigned to the shelf link cable over the point-to-point channel; d) the shelf in the network element determining a communications address for use on said shared communications channel from the connection identifier communicated over said point-to-point channel; e) the controller shelf requesting, via the shared communications channel and using said communications address, information about the shelf in the network element; f) the controller shelf using the requested information received from the shelf in the network element to determine whether the shelf in the network element is connected to the controller shelf in accordance with predetermined system configuration rules; g) the controller shelf assigning the shelf identifier to the shelf in the network element by sending a grant message to the shelf in the network element in response to the controller shelf determining that the shelf in the network element is connected in accordance with the system configuration rules, wherein the shelf identifier uniquely identifies said shelf in the network element to said network element; and (i) the controller shelf bringing the shelf in the network element into service in response to a favorable reply to said grant message from the shelf in the network element.