Patent ID: 8848517

Claim:
A computer-implemented method to reduce crossover between traffic from switch elements of different switch domains in a distributed switch, the method comprising: upon detecting addition of a first switch element to the distributed switch, the distributed switch including a plurality of switch elements subsequent to the detected addition, each switch element of the plurality of switch elements having a switch element identifier and a fabric identifier: retrieving, respectively, the fabric identifiers of the first switch element and of a second switch element of the plurality of switch elements, wherein the second switch element is communicably connected to the first switch element via a link, wherein the link is configured to allow only command traffic to be transmitted via the link; and upon determining, by operation of one or more computer processors, that the fabric identifier of the first switch element matches the fabric identifier of the second switch element and that the switch element identifier of the first switch element does not match the switch element identifier of the second switch element, issuing a command specifying to reconfigure the link to allow at least one additional traffic type, different from command traffic.