Patent Document ID: 7929522
Application ID: 11764224
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A method of upgrading a scalable switching network, said scalable switching network comprising: a plurality of stages of switching elements each comprising a plurality of ports coupled to a rear connector coupled to a front connector on a patch panel; a plurality of internal ports; a plurality of external port; and a plurality of internal connections, wherein the internal ports and external ports are ports of one of the switching elements and the internal connections are jumpers coupled to two front connectors on the patch panel coupled to rear connectors coupled to the internal ports, said method comprising: providing a post-reconfiguration architecture; adding new hardware comprising a plurality of internal ports as defined by the post-reconfiguration architecture; assigning to each internal port a corresponding port defined by the post-reconfiguration architecture; and rewiring any internal port on the basis of the post-reconfiguration architecture, said patch panel comprises a plurality of connectors having coupled front and rear connectors and at least one indication means associated with each front connector; and said rewiring comprising: (a) selecting a selected port of the plurality of internal ports that is not coupled through connectors to the corresponding port assigned to said selected port; (b) activating a disconnect indication means associated with the front connector coupled to the rear connector coupled to the selected port, if the front connector is coupled to a first jumper; (c) waiting for the first jumper to be disconnected; (d) verifying the first jumper is correctly disconnected; (e) activating an error indication means associated with the front connector coupled to the rear connector coupled to the selected port, if the first jumper is not correctly disconnected; (f) activating a disconnect indication means associated with the front connector coupled to the rear connector coupled to the corresponding port assigned to the selected port, if the front connector is coupled to a second jumper; (g) waiting for the second jumper to be disconnected; (h) verifying the second jumper is correctly disconnected; (i) activating an error indication means associated with the front connector coupled to the rear connector coupled to the corresponding port assigned to the selected port, if the second jumper is not correctly disconnected; (j) activating a connect indication means associated with the front connector coupled to the rear connector coupled to the selected port; (k) activating a connect indication means associated with the front connector coupled to the rear connector coupled to the corresponding port assigned to the selected port; (l) waiting for a third jumper to be connected to the front connector coupled to the rear connector coupled to the selected port and the front connector coupled to the rear connector coupled to the corresponding port assigned to the selected port; (m) verifying a proper connection of the third jumper; (n) activating the error indication means associated with the rear connector coupled to the selected port, and the error indication means associated with the rear connector coupled to the corresponding port assigned to the selected port, if the third jumper is not properly connected; and repeating steps (a)-(n) until each internal ports is coupled through connectors to its corresponding port.