Patent ID: 8160061

Claim:
A computer cluster network comprising: a first switch communicatively coupled to at least a first client node; a second switch communicatively coupled to at least a second client node; a third switch communicatively coupled to at least a third client node, wherein the third switch communicatively couples together the first switch and the second switch; a first communication path comprising the first, second, and third switches, the first communication path communicatively coupling one of the one or more first client nodes to one of the one or more third client nodes; and a second communication path comprising the first switch, the second communication path communicatively coupling one of the one or more first client nodes to one of the one or more third client nodes; wherein each of the first switch, the second switch, and the third switch comprises a plurality of switch ports, wherein the plurality of switch ports for the first switch, the second switch, and the third switch comprises a total number of switch ports for the first switch, the second switch, and the third switch, and wherein the total number of switch ports is less than four times the total number of: the at least the first client node; the at least the second client node; and the at least the third client node.