Patent ID: 8208484

Claim:
A router having a plurality of blades comprising at least a first blade and a second blade wherein the router comprises: an interconnect providing a plurality of channels, wherein each of the plurality of channels is used between two of the plurality of blades, and wherein the interconnect is an optical interconnect by which a single wavelength from a single of the plurality of blades defines one of the plurality of channels and wherein each blade supports a plurality of wavelengths; wherein the first blade: receives a packet addressed to exit the router via the second blade; segments the packets into at least two fragments; and forwards the at least two fragments to at least two different blades of the plurality of blades, each of the at least two fragments being forwarded via one of the interconnect's channels the first blade forwards a first fragment of the at least two fragments directly to the second blade via the interconnect; and the first blade forwards another of the at least two fragments to a different blade, via the interconnect; and the interconnect further carries another of the at least two fragments from said different blade, to the second blade.