Patent ID: 7680096

Claim:
A network comprising: a plurality of multiple port switches; a plurality of endpoint devices connected to ports of the multiple port switches; an enumerating endpoint device connected to at least one of the multiple port switches, where the enumerating endpoint device configures internal routing of communication packets between the ports of each multiple port switch based on whether the multiple port switch is on path with respect to an endpoint device or off path with respect to the endpoint device, where the enumerating endpoint device treats a multiple port switch as an on path multiple port switch with respect to the endpoint device if the multiple port switch is in a communication path between the enumerating endpoint device and the endpoint device when the endpoint device is initially detected by the enumerating endpoint device, and where the enumerating endpoint device treats the multiple port switch as an off path multiple port switch with respect to the endpoint device if the multiple port switch is not in a communication path between the enumerating endpoint device and the endpoint device when the endpoint device is initially detected by the enumerating endpoint device; and where each off path switch is configured by the enumerating endpoint device so that communications for the endpoint device are routed through the port of the off path switch that the off path switch uses for communications with the enumerating endpoint device, and where each on path switch is configured by the enumerating endpoint device so that communications for the endpoint device are routed through the port of the on path switch at which the enumerating endpoint device detected the endpoint device.