Patent ID: 7440448

Claim:
A method of upgrading a multistage scalable switching network, wherein the scalable switching network comprises N stages of switching elements, a plurality of internal ports, a plurality for external ports, and a plurality of internal connections, wherein the internal ports and external ports are coupled to one of the switching elements and the internal connections are coupled to two of the internal ports, comprising: a) providing a post-reconfiguration architecture comprising N stages of switching elements; b) adding new hardware comprising a plurality of internal ports as defined by the post-reconfiguration architecture; c) assigning to each internal port a corresponding port defined by the post-reconfiguration architecture; d) selecting an open port of the plurality of internal ports that is not coupled to a connection; e) breaking a first connection coupled to the corresponding port assigned to the open port, if the corresponding port assigned to the open port is coupled to said first connection; f) connecting the open port to the corresponding port assigned to the open port by coupling a second connection to the open port and to the corresponding port assigned to the open port; g) repeating steps (d), (e) and (f) until each of the plurality of internal ports is coupled to a connection; h) selecting a selected port of the plurality of internal ports that is not coupled to the corresponding port assigned to said selected port; i) breaking a second connection coupled to the selected port; j) breaking a third connection coupled to the corresponding port assigned to the selected port, if the corresponding port assigned to the selected port is coupled to said third connection; k) connecting the selected port to the corresponding port assigned to the selected port by coupling a fourth connection to the selected port and to the corresponding port assigned to the selected port; and l) repeating steps (h), (i), (j), (k) until each port of the plurality of internal ports is connected to the corresponding port assigned to each port.