Patent ID: 8942245
Filing Date: 2015-01-27
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. An apparatus, comprising: a processing module, configured based on a first software configuration and at a first time and disposed within a first switch fabric element, configured to detect a second switch fabric element having a routing module when the second switch fabric element is operatively coupled to the first switch fabric element, the processing module configured to define a virtual processing module locally within the processing module of the first switch fabric element, the virtual processing module configured to be operatively coupled to the second switch fabric element, the processing module is configured to receive a configuration file to configure the processing module based on a second software configuration at a second time, after the first time; and the virtual processing module configured based on a first software configuration and at a first time and configured to receive a request from the second switch fabric element for forwarding information, the virtual processing module configured to send the forwarding information to the routing module, the virtual processing module is configured based on the second software configuration at a third time, after the second time.