Patent ID: 6597656
Filing Date: 2003-07-22
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A switch system including:a first switch fabric having a first switch core and a first switch core access (SCAL) layer, said first switch core access layer having a SCAL receive element connected to an input port of said first switch core and a SCAL transmit element connected to an output port of said first switch core; a second switch fabric having a second switch core and a second switch core access (SCAL) layer, said second switch core access layer having a SCAL receive element connected to an input port of said second switch core and a SCAL transmit element connected to an output port of said second switch core; a set of receive port adapters, each adapter in said set being connected to the SCAL receive element in said first switch fabric and to the SCAL receive element in said second switch fabric; a set of transmit port adapters, each adapter in said set being connected to the SCAL transmit element in said first switch fabric and to the SCAL transmit element in said second switch fabric; and switch control logic for assigning each port adapter in each of said sets of receive and transmit port adapters to one of said switch fabrics for normal data traffic operations and to the other of said switch fabrics in response to the subsequent unavailability of said one switch fabric.