Patent ID: 7054263

Claim:
A method of operating a multi-plane cell switching node, the cell switching node having a first switch plane; a second switch plane; and plural switch port interface units; the method comprising: in response to detection of a fault in the first switch plane, the second switch plane; sending plane change cells to the plural switch port interface units; stopping egress traffic flow from the second switch plane; in response to receipt of the plane change cells, redirecting traffic cells sent by the plural switch port interface units from the first switch plane to the second switch plane; determining when traffic cells destined to a particular switch port interface unit have been flushed from the first switch plane; and thereafter starting the egress traffic flow from the second switch plane to the particular switch port interface unit; wherein a fault-detecting switch port interface unit sends a fault detection cell to the second switch plane upon detection of a fault in the first switch plane; wherein in response to the receipt of the fault detection cell, the second switch plane sends a broadcast plane change signal to plural cell receiving units of the second switch plane, the plural cell receiving units corresponding to the plural switch port interface units, and wherein the plural cell receiving units generate the plane change cells for sending to the respective plural switch port interface units.