Patent ID: 8396053

Claim:
A method for routing at least one packet from at least one source node to at least one destination node, each node being operatively coupled to a given packet switch within a plurality of packet switches operatively coupled to a given circuit switch, the method comprising the steps of: establishing a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) comprising multiple clusters and a circuit switch, wherein each cluster comprises a packet switch and one or more nodes operatively coupled to the packet switch via one or more corresponding internal ports on the packet switch, and wherein the packet switch of each cluster is operatively coupled to the circuit switch via one or more additional ports on the packet switch, and wherein the VLAN provides at least one route between the multiple clusters; and routing a packet from a source node in a first cluster to a destination node in a second cluster over a loop-free path within the VLAN, the path comprising a minimum number of nodes and/or a minimum number of switches, and wherein said routing comprises: routing the packet from the source node in the first cluster to the packet switch in the first cluster via the corresponding internal port on the packet switch; routing the packet from the packet switch in the first cluster to the circuit switch via one of the one or more additional ports on the packet switch; dynamically reconfiguring, via the circuit switch, one or more connections between the packet switches in the VLAN to change network topology and route the packet from the circuit switch to the packet switch in the second cluster via one of the one or more additional ports on the packet switch; and routing the packet from the packet switch in the second cluster to the destination node in the second cluster via the corresponding internal port on the packet switch.