Patent ID: 6901071

Claim:
A method of inserting a new row of nodes into a redundant multi-stage network with a minimum amount of disruption and producing a set of parallel connections connected to the new row where the redundant multi-stage network comprises a plurality of rows each comprising a plurality of nodes each comprising a plurality of top ports and a plurality of bottom ports and where the redundant multi-stage network further comprises a plurality of connections each connection between the bottom port of a first node and a top port of a second node in a neighboring row comprising the steps of: selecting an insertion point between two adjacent rows where the row above the insertion point is referred to as upper_row, where the row below the insertion point is referred to as lower_row, and where the new row is referred to as the inserted_row; where the nodes in upper_row are referred to as node 0 through node N− 1 respectively, where the nodes in lower_row are referred to as node 0 through node N− 1 respectively, where the nodes in inserted_row are referred to as node 0 through node N− 1 respectively, where the plurality of top ports of each node in the plurality of nodes in lower_row and inserted_row consists of P top ports and are referred to as top port 0 through top port P− 1 respectively, and where the plurality of bottom ports of each node in the plurality of nodes in upper_row and inserted_row consists of P bottom ports and are referred to as bottom port 0 through bottom port P− 1 respectively; and repeating steps a) to d) until all bottom ports from all the nodes in the upper_row have been selected a) selecting a bottom port p from ports 0 to P− 1 of a node n from nodes 0 to N− 1 in the upper_row, b) disconnecting the connection connected to bottom port p of node n of upper_row, c) connecting the disconnected end of the connection disconnected at step (b) to bottom port p of node n in the inserted_row, and d) connecting bottom port p of node n of upper_row to top port p of node n of inserted_row; whereby the number of disconnected upper_row bottom ports and lower_row top ports at any given time is minimized.