Patent ID: 8693309

Claim:
A method for operating a breakout module connecting an upstream computer, a downstream computer and a breakout system, the method comprising the steps of: (A) providing a fail-to-wire (FTW) module, where the FTW module has switches to connect a primary network data path and a breakout data path, where the primary data path connects an upstream computer to a downstream computer and the breakout network data path that connects the upstream computer system and the downstream computer system to the breakout system; (B) entering a FTW mode that operates the switches to connect the primary network data path; (C) determining if the system power is off, then if the system power is off, then returning to step (B) otherwise go to step (D); (D) determining if the breakout system status is ok indicating that the breakout system is functioning properly, then if the breakout system status is not ok, then returning to step (B) otherwise go to step (E); (E) entering a system network communication mode that connects the breakout network data path and then returning to step (C) to continue checking the system power and the breakout system status in steps (C) and (D) to determine whether to go back to step (B), and (F) while in the FTW mode performing the steps of: removing the FTW module having an active network from the breakout system, wherein the active network is actively sending and receiving network messages between the upstream computer and the downstream computer on the primary network data path; replacing the breakout system with a new breakout system; plugging the FTW module with the active network into the new breakout system; starting UP the new breakout system; and returning to step B to allow the new breakout system to proceed to step D to place the new breakout system in the system network communication mode.