A system for supporting scalable representation of switch port status in a high performance computing environment, comprising: one or more microprocessors; at least one subnet, the at least one subnet comprising one or more switches, the one or more switches comprising at least a leaf switch, wherein each of the one or more switches comprise a plurality of ports, a plurality of host channel adapters, wherein the plurality of host channel adapters are interconnected via the one or more switches, a plurality of end nodes, each of the plurality of end nodes being associated with at least one host channel adapter of the plurality of host channel adapters, and a subnet manager, the subnet manager running on one of the one or more switches or one of the plurality of host channel adapters; the system being characterized in that each of the one or more switches comprise a switch attribute ; wherein each port of the plurality of ports on the one or more switches is associated with a switch port status ; and wherein each switch port status associated with each port of the plurality of ports on each switch is represented in the switch attribute at the associated switch; wherein the subnet manager is configured to determine the switch port status for all ports on one of the one or more switches using one message providing the subnet manager with the switch attribute corresponding to the one of the one or more switches. one or more microprocessors; at least one subnet, the at least one subnet comprising one or more switches, the one or more switches comprising at least a leaf switch, wherein each of the one or more switches comprise a plurality of ports, a plurality of host channel adapters, wherein the plurality of host channel adapters are interconnected via the one or more switches, a plurality of end nodes, each of the plurality of end nodes being associated with at least one host channel adapter of the plurality of host channel adapters, and a subnet manager, the subnet manager running on one of the one or more switches or one of the plurality of host channel adapters; one or more switches, the one or more switches comprising at least a leaf switch, wherein each of the one or more switches comprise a plurality of ports, a plurality of host channel adapters, wherein the plurality of host channel adapters are interconnected via the one or more switches, a plurality of end nodes, each of the plurality of end nodes being associated with at least one host channel adapter of the plurality of host channel adapters, and a subnet manager, the subnet manager running on one of the one or more switches or one of the plurality of host channel adapters; the system being characterized in that each of the one or more switches comprise a switch attribute ; wherein each port of the plurality of ports on the one or more switches is associated with a switch port status ; and wherein each switch port status associated with each port of the plurality of ports on each switch is represented in the switch attribute at the associated switch; wherein the subnet manager is configured to determine the switch port status for all ports on one of the one or more switches using one message providing the subnet manager with the switch attribute corresponding to the one of the one or more switches. <EOS>