Claims
- 1. An N/2 slot switch module, comprising:
a switch card; a plurality of switches coupled to the switch card; and a reconfiguring means coupled to the switch card, wherein the reconfiguring means reconfigures the N/2 slot switch module into one of a left-hand slot switch configuration and a right-hand slot switch configuration, and wherein the N/2 slot switch module is coupled to interface with a bladed architecture, backplane-based network having N payload slots.
- 2. The N/2 slot switch module of claim 1, wherein the N/2 slot switch module is coupled to N/2 slots of the N payload slots.
- 3. The N/2 slot switch module of claim 1, wherein when the N/2 slot switch module is configured in the left-hand slot switch configuration, the N/2 slot switch module can be coupled only to a left-hand set of the N payload slots.
- 4. The N/2 slot switch module of claim 1, wherein when the N/2 slot switch module is configured in the right-hand slot switch configuration, the N/2 slot switch module can be coupled only to a right-hand set of the N payload slots.
- 5. The N/2 slot switch module of claim 1, wherein the N/2 slot switch module is reconfigurable in a post-manufactured state.
- 6. The N/2 slot switch module of claim 1, wherein the N/2 slot switch module is user-reconfigurable.
- 7. The N/2 slot switch module of claim 1, wherein the bladed architecture, backplane-based network is a switched fabric network.
- 8. The N/2 slot switch module of claim 7, wherein the switched fabric network uses at least one of Infiniband, Serial RapidIO, FibreChannel, Ethernet, PCI Express and Hypertransport switched fabric network standards.
- 9. A multi-service platform system, comprising:
a bladed architecture backplane having N payload slots; and 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 wherein the N/2 slot switch module is coupled to N/2 of the N payload slots such that the multi-service platform system is in a sub-optimal configuration.
- 10. The multi-service platform system of claim 9, wherein the N/2 slot switch module comprises:
a switch card; a plurality of switches coupled to the switch card; and a reconfiguring means coupled to the switch card, wherein the reconfiguring means reconfigures the N/2 slot switch module into one of a left-hand slot switch configuration and a right-hand slot switch configuration, and wherein the N/2 slot switch module is coupled to interface with the bladed architecture, backplane-based network having N payload slots.
- 11. The multi-service platform system of claim 9, wherein when the N/2 slot switch module is configured in the left-hand slot switch configuration, the N/2 slot switch module can be coupled only to a left-hand set of the N payload slots.
- 12. The multi-service platform system of claim 9, wherein when the N/2 slot switch module is configured in the right-hand slot switch configuration, the N/2 slot switch module can be coupled only to a right-hand set of the N payload slots.
- 13. The multi-service platform system of claim 9, wherein the N/2 slot switch module is reconfigurable in a post-manufactured state.
- 14. The multi-service platform system of claim 9, wherein the N/2 slot switch module is user-reconfigurable.
- 15. The multi-service platform system of claim 9, wherein the bladed architecture, backplane-based network is a switched fabric network.
- 16. The multi-service platform system of claim 9, wherein the sub-optimal configuration comprises any of the N payload slots disconnected from at least one of the N/2 slot switch modules.
- 17. The multi-service platform system of claim 9, wherein the sub-optimal configuration comprises the N/2 slot switch module disconnected from any of the N payload slots.
- 18. A computer chassis, comprising:
a bladed architecture, backplane having N payload slots; and 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 wherein the N/2 slot switch module is coupled to N/2 of the N payload slots such that the bladed architecture, backplane-based network is in a sub-optimal configuration.
- 19. The computer chassis of claim 18, wherein the N/2 slot switch module comprises:
a switch card; a plurality of switches coupled to the switch card; and a reconfiguring means coupled to the switch card, wherein the reconfiguring means reconfigures the N/2 slot switch module into one of a left-hand slot switch configuration and a right-hand slot switch configuration, and wherein the N/2 slot switch module is coupled to interface with the bladed architecture, backplane-based network having N payload slots.
- 20. The computer chassis of claim 18, wherein when the N/2 slot switch module is configured in the left-hand slot switch configuration, the N/2 slot switch module can be coupled only to a left-hand set of the N payload slots.
- 21. The computer chassis of claim 18, wherein when the N/2 slot switch module is configured in the right-hand slot switch configuration, the N/2 slot switch module can be coupled only to a right-hand set of the N payload slots.
- 22. The computer chassis of claim 18, wherein the N/2 slot switch module is reconfigurable in a post-manufactured state.
- 23. The computer chassis of claim 18, wherein the N/2 slot switch module is user-reconfigurable.
- 24. The computer chassis of claim 18, wherein the bladed architecture, backplane-based network is a switched fabric network.
- 25. The computer chassis of claim 18, wherein the sub-optimal configuration comprises any of the N payload slots disconnected from at least one of the N/2 slot switch modules.
- 26. The computer chassis of claim 18, wherein the sub-optimal configuration comprises the N/2 slot switch module disconnected from any of the N payload slots.
- 27. A computer chassis, comprising:
a bladed architecture, backplane-based network having N/2 payload slots; and 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 wherein the N/2 slot switch module is coupled to N/2 of the N/2 payload slots such that the bladed architecture, backplane-based network is in a sub-optimal configuration.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Related subject matter is disclosed in U.S. patent application entitled “METHOD OF CONFIGURING A 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.
[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.