# US 2010/0165984 A1 · Methods and apparatus related to a modular switch architecture > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2010/0165984 A1 - Document ID: US20100165984A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/345,502 - Filed: 2008-12-29 - Published: 2010-07-01 - Earliest claimed: 2008-12-29 - Assignees: Juniper Networks, Inc. - Inventors: Gunes Aybay; Jaya Bandyopadhyay; Jean-Marc Frailong; Pradeep Sindhu; Philip A. Thomas; Anjan Venkatramani - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100165984A1 ## CPC - H04L 49/15: Interconnection of switching modules - H04L 49/10: characterised by the switching fabric construction - H04L 49/45: Arrangements for providing or supporting expansion - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a first housing, a second housing and at least one cable. The first housing includes a first interface card of a switch fabric. The second housing includes a second interface card of the switch fabric and a third interface card of the switch fabric. The second interface card of the switch fabric is operatively and physically coupled to the third interface card of the switch fabric via a midplane. The second interface card defines a plane that is nonparallel to the a plane defined by the third interface card and a plane defined by the midplane. The plane defined by the third interface card is nonparallel to the plane defined by the second interface card and the plane defined by the midplane. The cable is configured to operatively couple the first interface card to the second interface card. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: activating a first plurality of interface cards in a first housing within a first time period, the first plurality of interface cards being associated with multiple stages of a switch fabric, the switch fabric being in a first configuration after the first time period and before a second time period; activating a second plurality of interface cards in a second housing within the second time period, the second plurality of interface cards being associated with multiple stages of the switch fabric; and operatively coupling the first housing with the second housing within the second time period to define a second configuration of the switch fabric after the second time period, the number of stages associated with the second configuration being greater than the number of stages associated with the first configuration. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the activating the second plurality of interface cards is performed while the switch fabric operates in the first configuration. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: sending data from the first plurality of interface cards to the second plurality of interface cards during the second time period. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a first interface card from the first plurality of interface cards defines a plane relative to the first housing after the activating the first plurality of interface cards, a second interface card from the first plurality of interface cards defines a plane relative to the first housing after the activating the second plurality of interface cards, the plane of the first interface card being nonparallel to the plane of the second interface card. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a first interface card from the first plurality of interface cards is coupled to a second interface card from the first plurality of interface cards via a midplane connector after the activating the first plurality of interface cards. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of interface cards is associated with a first stage, a second stage and a third stage of the switch fabric after the first time period and before the second time period. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of interface cards is associated with a first stage, a retiming stage, and a fifth stage of the switch fabric, after the second time period. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the switch fabric is a three-stage switch fabric after the first time period and before the second time period, the switch fabric is a five-stage switch fabric after the second time period. ### Claim 9 A method, comprising: installing an interface card having a first module system of a switch fabric in a first housing within a first time period; installing an interface card having a second module system of the switch fabric in the first housing within the first time period, the switch fabric being in a first configuration after the first time period and before a second time period; installing an interface card having a third module system of the switch fabric in a second housing within the second time period; removing the interface card having the second module system of the switch fabric from the first housing within the second time period; installing the interface card having the second module system of the switch fabric in the second housing within the second time period; installing an interface card having a fourth module system of the switch fabric in the first housing within the second time period; and operatively coupling the first housing with the second housing within the second time period to define a second configuration of the switch fabric after the second time period. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the second module system is associated with a second stage of the switch fabric after the first time period and before the second time period, the second module system being associated with a third stage of the switch fabric after the second time period. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the first module system is associated with a first stage and a third stage of the switch fabric after the first time period and before the second time period, the first module system being associated with the first stage and a fifth stage of the switch fabric after the second time period. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the switch fabric is a three-stage switch fabric after the first time period and before the second time period, the switch fabric is a five-stage switch fabric after the second time period. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the fourth module system is configured to forward data from a first stage of the switch fabric to a second stage of the switch fabric after the second time period. ### Claim 14 A method, comprising: removing an interface card from a first chassis within a switch fabric configured in three stages while the switch fabric configured in three stages is in operation; and installing the interface card in a second chassis, the first chassis and the second chassis collectively defining a switch fabric configured in five stages after the installing, the switch fabric configured in five stages being operative after the installing such that data can be sent from the first chassis to the second chassis. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the switch fabric configured in three stages continues to operate after the removing and before the installing. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the interface card is a first interface card, the first chassis including a second interface card, the second interface card being associated with a first stage and a third stage of the switch fabric configured in three stages, the second interface card being associated with a first stage and a fifth stage of the switch fabric configured in five stages. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the interface card is associated with a second stage of the switch fabric configured in three stages, the interface card being associated with a third stage of the switch fabric configured in five stages. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the interface card is a first interface card, the method further comprising: installing a second interface card in the first chassis after the removing the first interface card from the first chassis, the second interface card being associated with a retiming stage of the switch fabric configured in five stages. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the switch fabric configured in five stages has at least one cable interconnecting the first chassis with the second chassis.