Patent ID: 7209453
Filing Date: 2007-04-24
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for tolerating control line faults in a packet communications switch fabric, the method comprising: accepting information packets including a plurality of cells, at a plurality of port card ports, the plurality of information packets addressing a plurality of port card ports; selectively connecting port card ports to port card backplane data links; in response to backplane control link communications, selectively connecting port card backplane data links and crossbars; sensing a connection fault in a control link; and, in response to sensing the control link fault, reselecting connections between the port card ports and the port card backplane data links, wherein selectively connecting port card backplane data links and crossbars includes: for a particular backplane data link, fixedly connecting each port card to a corresponding interface of an assigned crossbar; and, selectively enabling the connection to each crossbar, wherein fixedly connecting each port card to a corresponding interface of an assigned crossbar includes: assigning an ingress priority queue (iPQ) to a group of data links; and, assigning an arbiter to control a crossbar; and, wherein selectively enabling the connection to each crossbar includes negotiating between the arbiter and the iPQ for the use of the crossbar.