Patent ID: 7751312

Claim:
In a switching system ( 14 ) for transmitting a plurality of incoming data packets, the switching system being made of an active switch card ( 14 - 1 ) and a backup switch card ( 14 - 2 ), a re-synchronization system for re-synchronizing the switch cards comprising in each switch card: a storage means ( 150 , 250 , 350 , 400 , 380 , 512 ) for storing the incoming data packets to create stored packets; a detection means ( 100 ) for detecting re-synchronization information among the incoming data packets, wherein the re-synchronization information comprises data within a re-synchronization data packet, and the detection means comprises header detection and packet validation logic that extracts a destination address, priority level, and resynch-bit for placement as signals on one or more destination buses coupled with a write enable signal; and a synchronization means ( 200 , 280 , 300 , 450 ), coupled to the detection means and to the storage means, for synchronizing a transmission of stored data packets out of the active switch card ( 14 - 1 ) with another transmission of stored data packets out of the back-up switch card ( 14 - 2 ) in response to the detected re-synchronization information, wherein the synchronization means controls the transmissions until identical data packets are transmitted, and, thereby, permitting the re-synchronizing of the switch cards.