Patent ID: 8014388

Claim:
A method for selectively routing traffic from a backplane cross-connection port in an internal switch module of a first switch device for use in a blade server system, comprising: determining whether backplane cross-connection between the first switch device and a second switch device has been selectively enabled through configuration by a user via at least one of a software configurable bit and a user-selectable switch, wherein the blade server system comprises a backplane and a plurality of servers connected via the backplane, wherein the backplane comprises backplane cross-connects between the first switch device and the second switch device, and wherein the first switch device and the second switch device route traffic for the plurality of servers of the blade server system; if backplane cross-connection has been enabled, routing traffic from the backplane cross-connection port in the first switch device to the second switch device via the backplane cross-connects of the backplane of the blade server system; and if backplane cross-connection has not been enabled, routing traffic from the backplane cross-connection port in the first switch device to a network via a connector accessible on an exterior of the first switch device, thereby providing the blade server system an uplink to the network via the backplane cross-connection port and without requiring use of any other port in the internal switch module of the first switch device, when backplane cross-connection has not been enabled by the user.