Patent ID: 7668105

Claim:
A system configuration for use in testing and/or evaluating a network switch comprising: a network switch, the network switch having disposed internally therein: a plurality of bidirectional network ports, switch fabric interconnecting the plurality of bidirectional network ports that are disposed in the network switch, and switch fabric control directing packet flow through the switch fabric and between the plurality of bidirectional network ports that are disposed internally in the network switch in response to control parameters, where the control parameters are selected to configure the switch fabric to delimit the plurality of bidirectional network ports into a first packet termination port, a second packet termination port and a remaining plurality of ports; a plurality of interconnections disposed exterior to the network switch to communicate packets directly between respective pairs of the remaining plurality of ports; where the control parameters are further selected to configure the switch fabric to direct packets received at the first packet termination port unidirectionally through the switch fabric between respective pairs of the remaining plurality of ports for egress at the second packet termination port, and to configure the switch fabric to direct packets received at the second packet termination port unidirectionally through the switch fabric between respective pairs of the remaining plurality of ports for egress at the first packet termination port, where packets received at the first packet termination port are directed through a given bidirectional port in a respective first direction and packets received at the second packet termination port are directed through the given bidirectional port in a respective second, opposite direction.