Patent ID: 7028224

Claim:
A network router having an internal automated backup, comprising: a primary port facility; a card array having at least one unutilized backup router card; and a switched fabric, wherein the switched fabric automatically replaces a failed router card connected to the primary port facility with an unutilized backup router card from the card arrays, wherein the switched fabric comprises an information system for receiving a failure message from the primary port facility, and a switching system for physically replacing the failed router card with the backup router card in response to the failure message, wherein the switching system includes a replacement mechanism for physically replacing the failed router card with the backup router card, wherein the replacement mechanism physically disconnects the failed router card from the primary port facility, physically moves the failed router card to an expanded bay, physically disconnects the unutilized backup router card from the card array, physically moves the unutilized backup router card from the card array to the primary port facility from which the failed router card was moved, and physically connects the unutilized backup router card to the primary port facility from which the failed router card was moved.