Patent ID: 7688715

Claim:
An apparatus for providing duplicate shelf managers in an ATCA (advanced telecom computing architecture) system, the apparatus comprising: first and second duplicate shelf managers each having two Ethernet ports for facilitating connection, directly or via a hub/switch, between the first and second duplicate shelf managers, wherein the first and second duplicate shelf managers are configured to manage and control boards embedded in the ATCA system; first and second switches provided in a switch slot of the ATCA system, the first and second switches each having a plurality of Ethernet ports and the first and second switches together being configured as a hub node for providing a path of transmitting high-speed data to the boards that are embedded in the ATCA system and managed and controlled by the first and second duplicate shelf managers, wherein the first and second duplicate shelf managers are accessed from an external network through the first and second switches; and the hub/switch for connecting the first and second duplicate shelf managers to the first and second switches using the Ethernet ports of the first and second duplicate shelf managers and, via respective base interfaces of the first and second switches, the Ethernet ports of the first and second switches such that the first and second duplicate shelf managers are connected to the first and second switches through the hub/switch, and for connecting the first and second duplicate shelf managers and the first and second switches to the Internet.