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US 2016/0366072 A1Published application
Distributed packet switch having a wireless control plane
AssigneeForce10 Networks, Inc.
InventorJoel R. Goergen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A packet network device such as a network switch includes a number of functional cards or chassis modules at least some of which are connected to both an electrical backplane and a wireless backplane. The electrical backplane provides data plane signal paths and the wireless backplane provides control plane signal paths.
Claims20
A backplane system, comprising:
- a backplane circuit board;
- at least one line card connector located on the backplane circuit board;
- at least one switch fabric card connector located on the backplane circuit board;
- at least one route processing manager connector located on the backplane circuit board;
- a plurality of physical data connections that are included in the backplane circuit board and that extend between the at least one line card connector and the at least one switch fabric card connector, wherein the plurality of physical data connections are configured to provide for the communication of data plane traffic between at least one line card coupled to the at least one line card connector and at least one switch fabric card coupled to the at least one switch fabric card connector;
- and
- a wireless backplane subsystem that is configured to provide for wireless communication of control plane traffic between at least one line card coupled to the at least one line card connector, at least one switch fabric card coupled to the at least one switch fabric card connector, and at least one route processing manager coupled to the at least one route processing manager connector.
4 more elements
A networking device, comprising:
- a chassis:
- a backplane circuit board located in the chassis;
- at least one line card located in the chassis and connected to the backplane circuit board;
- at least one switch fabric card located in the chassis and connected to the backplane circuit board;
- at least one route processing manager located in the chassis and connected to the backplane circuit board;
- a plurality of physical data connections that are included in the backplane circuit board and that extend between the at least one line card and the at least one switch fabric card, wherein the plurality of physical data connections are configured to provide for the communication of data plane traffic between the at least one line card and the at least one switch fabric card;
- and
- a wireless backplane subsystem that is located in the chassis and that is configured to provide for wireless communication of control plane traffic between the at least one line card, the at least one switch fabric card, and the at least one route processing manager.
5 more elements
A method for providing communication in a packet network device, comprising:
- receiving, by at least one line card connector located on a backplane circuit board, at least one line card;
- receiving, by at least one switch fabric card connector located on the backplane circuit board, at least one switch fabric card;
- receiving, by at least one route processing manager connector located on the backplane circuit board, at least one route processing manager;
- providing, by a plurality of physical data connections that are included in the backplane circuit board and that extend between the at least one line card connector and the at least one switch fabric card connector, communication of data plane traffic between the at least one line card and the at least one switch fabric card;
- and
- providing, by a wireless backplane subsystem, for wireless communication of control plane traffic between the at least one line card, the at least one switch fabric card, and the at least one route processing manager.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.