Patent ID: 7849182

Claim:
A blade server, comprising: at least two blade data processing units adapted to receive data and process the data, each of the data processing units including a respective an interconnection controller; an exchange backboard, wherein each of the data processing units exchanges data with the exchange backboard through its respective interconnection controller in accordance with a high-speed serial communication protocol, and the exchange backboard is operable to route the data from one of the data from one of the data processing units to another one of the data processing units; an interconnection unit coupled to said at least two data processing units through said exchange backboard so as to exchange data with each of the at least two data processing units through the exchange backboard, wherein the interconnection unit is operable to interconnect with a further blade server for exchanging data between said blade server and said further blade server; an I/O interface unit coupled to said at least two data processing units through the exchange backboard so as to exchange data with each of said at least two data processing units through the exchange backboard, wherein the I/O interface unit is operable to interconnect with an external network so as to exchange data between the blade server and the external network; and a management and control unit coupled to said at least two data processing units through the exchange backboard so as to exchange data with each of said at least two data processing units through the exchange backboard, wherein the management and control unit is operable to control the switching between said at least two data processing units, and also to monitor and manage said blade server.