The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 23, 2007
Filed:
Jul. 25, 2002
Brian Forbes, Foster City, CA (US);
Lino Costantino, Oakland, CA (US);
Howard Green, Carlsbad, CA (US);
Brian Forbes, Foster City, CA (US);
Lino Costantino, Oakland, CA (US);
Howard Green, Carlsbad, CA (US);
Brocade Communications Systems, Inc., San Jose, CA (US);
Abstract
A multiport switch assembly comprises a plurality of discrete switch devices coupled together in a way that virtualizes the behavior of a multiport switch assembly. Each of said switch devices preferably has fewer ports than the number of ports made externally available by the multiport switch assembly. The multiport switch assembly preferably comprises a plurality of tiers of switch devices and a processor connected directly or indirectly to all or at least some of the switch devices. The processor executes code that permits the multiport switch assembly to appear, from the viewpoint of external logic (e.g., management entities, end nodes, routers, etc.), to operate as a single switch device. This alleviates the burden on the external logic, which otherwise would have to control each individual switch device to accomplish the desired switching behavior of the switch assembly.