Patent ID: 7106736

Claim:
A method of handling data packets in a series of network switches, said method comprising the steps of: receiving an incoming data packet at a data port of a first type of switch of said series of network switches; resolving a stack tag from a header of said incoming data packet; forwarding said incoming data packet to a second type of switch of said series of network switches, on a first stacked connection operating at a first data rate, based on the stack tag; resolving a destination address of said incoming data packet by said first type of switch and modifying the header of said incoming data packet; and forwarding said incoming data packet to another second type switch, on a second stacked connection operating at a second data rate, based on the resolved destination address; modifying said header of said incoming data packet and forwarding said incoming data packet to another first type switch on a third stacked connection operating at said first data rate; determining an egress port of said another first type switch based on said stack tag and forwarding the incoming data packet to said egress port.