Claims
- 1. A method of configuring a computer network, comprising:
providing a bladed architecture, backplane-based network having N payload slots; providing an N/2 slot switch module, wherein the N/2 slot switch module is reconfigurable to one of a left-hand slot switch configuration and a right-hand slot switch configuration; and coupling the N/2 slot switch module to N/2 of the N payload slots such that the bladed architecture, backplane-based network is in a sub-optimal configuration.
- 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising reconfiguring the N/2 slot switch module to the left-hand slot switch configuration and coupling the N/2 slot switch module to a left-hand set of the N payload slots.
- 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising reconfiguring the N/2 slot switch module to the right-hand slot switch configuration and coupling the N/2 slot switch module to a right-hand set of the N payload slots.
- 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sub-optimal configuration comprises any of the N payload slots disconnected from at least one of the N/2 slot switch modules.
- 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sub-optimal configuration comprises the N/2 slot switch module disconnected from any of the N payload slots.
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the N/2 slot switch module is reconfigurable in a post-manufactured state.
- 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the N/2 slot switch module is user-reconfigurable.
- 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the bladed architecture, backplane-based network is a switched fabric network.
- 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the switched fabric network uses at least one of Infiniband, Serial RapidIO, FibreChannel, Ethernet, PCI Express and Hypertransport switched fabric network standards.
- 10. A method of configuring a computer network, comprising:
providing a bladed architecture, backplane-based network having N payload slots; providing a first N/2 slot switch module coupled to N/2 of the N payload slots, wherein the first N/2 slot switch module is reconfigurable to one of a left-hand slot switch configuration and a right-hand slot switch configuration; providing a second N/2 slot switch module coupled to N/2 of the N payload slots, wherein the second N/2 slot switch module is reconfigurable to one of the left-hand slot switch configuration and the right-hand slot switch configuration; and coupling the first N/2 slot switch module and the second N/2 slot switch module to N/2 of the N payload slots such that the bladed architecture, backplane-based network is in a sub-optimal configuration.
- 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising reconfiguring the first N/2 slot switch module to the left-hand slot switch configuration and coupling the N/2 slot switch module to a left-hand set of the N payload slots.
- 12. The method of claim 10, further comprising reconfiguring the first N/2 slot switch module to the right-hand slot switch configuration and coupling the N/2 slot switch module to a right-hand set of the N payload slots.
- 13. The method of claim 10, further comprising reconfiguring the first N/2 slot switch module to the left-hand slot switch configuration and configuring the second N/2 slot switch module to the right-hand slot switch configuration.
- 14. The method of claim 10, further comprising reconfiguring the first N/2 slot switch module and the second N/2 slot switch module to the left-hand slot switch configuration.
- 15. The method of claim 10, further comprising reconfiguring the first N/2 slot switch module and the second N/2 slot switch module to the right-hand slot switch configuration.
- 16. The method of claim 10, wherein the sub-optimal configuration comprises any of the N payload slots disconnected from at least one of the first N/2 slot switch module and the second N/2 slot switch module.
- 17. The method of claim 10, wherein the sub-optimal configuration comprises at least one of the first N/2 slot switch module and the second N/2 slot switch module disconnected from any of the N payload slots.
- 18. The method of claim 10, wherein the first N/2 slot switch module and the second N/2 slot switch module are reconfigurable in a post-manufactured state.
- 19. The method of claim 10, wherein the first N/2 slot switch module and the second N/2 slot switch module are user-reconfigurable.
- 20. The method of claim 10, wherein the bladed architecture, backplane-based network is a switched fabric network.
- 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the switched fabric network uses at least one of Infiniband, Serial RapidIO, FibreChannel, Ethernet, PCI Express and Hypertransport switched fabric network standards.
- 22. A method of configuring a multi-service platform chassis, comprising:
providing a bladed architecture, backplane-based network having N payload slots; providing an N/2 slot switch module, wherein the N/2 slot switch module is reconfigurable to one of a left-hand slot switch configuration and a right-hand slot switch configuration; and coupling the N/2 slot switch module to N/2 of the N payload slots such that the bladed architecture, backplane-based network is in a sub-optimal configuration.
- 23. A method of reconfiguring an N/2 slot switch module, comprising:
providing a switch card; providing a plurality of switches coupled to the switch card; providing a reconfiguring means to reconfigure the N/2 slot switch module between the left-hand slot switch configuration and the right-hand slot switch configuration, wherein the reconfiguration occurs with the N/2 slot switch module in a post-manufactured state; and reconfiguring the N/2 slot switch module between the left-hand slot switch configuration and the right-hand slot switch configuration while the N/2 slot switch module is in the post-manufactured state, and wherein the N/2 slot switch module is coupled to interface with a bladed architecture, backplane-based network having N payload slots.
- 24. The method of claim 23, further comprising reconfiguring the N/2 slot switch module to the left-hand slot switch configuration and coupling the N/2 slot switch module only to a left-hand set of the N payload slots.
- 25. The method of claim 23, further comprising reconfiguring the N/2 slot switch module to the right-hand slot switch configuration and coupling the N/2 slot switch module only to a right-hand set of the N payload slots.
- 26. The method of claim 23, wherein the N/2 slot switch module is user-reconfigurable.
- 27. The method of claim 23, wherein the bladed architecture, backplane-based network is a switched fabric network.
- 28. A method of configuring a computer network, comprising:
providing a bladed architecture, backplane-based network having N/2 payload slots; providing an N/2 slot switch module, wherein the N/2 slot switch module is reconfigurable to one of a left-hand slot switch configuration and a right-hand slot switch configuration; and coupling the N/2 slot switch module to N/2 of the N/2 payload slots such that the bladed architecture, backplane-based network is in a sub-optimal configuration.
- 29. The method of claim 28, wherein the first N/2 slot switch module and the second N/2 slot switch module are reconfigurable in a post-manufactured state.
- 30. The method of claim 28, wherein the first N/2 slot switch module and the second N/2 slot switch module are user-reconfigurable.
- 31. The method of claim 28, wherein the bladed architecture, backplane-based network is a switched fabric network.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Related subject matter is disclosed in U.S. patent application entitled “N/2 SLOT SWITCH MODULE” having application Ser. No. ______ and filed on the same date herewith and assigned to the same assignee.
[0002] Related subject matter is disclosed in U.S. patent application entitled “COMPUTER NETWORK HAVING AN N/2 SLOT SWITCH MODULE” having application Ser. No. ______ and filed on the same date herewith and assigned to the same assignee.