Ultra-high radix communication network

A method for communicating in a communication network that includes i) a plurality of first network switches, and ii) a plurality of second network switches, each first network switch comprising i) a respective plurality of downlink ports, ii) a respective plurality of uplink ports, and iii) a respective one or more first integrated circuit (IC) switch chips communicatively coupled to the plurality of uplink ports and the plurality of downlink ports, and each second network switch comprising i) a respective plurality of ports coupled to at least one uplink port of each of the first network switches, and ii) a respective second IC switch chip communicatively coupled to the plurality of ports of the second switch, the method comprising:

• receiving, at each first network switch among the plurality of first network switches, packets from network devices via the plurality of downlink ports;
• forwarding, by each first network switch, packets received via the plurality of downlink ports to the plurality of second network switches via a respective plurality of communication links between the first network switch and each second network switch in the plurality of second switches;
• at each second switch, transferring packets received from the plurality of first switches to external network interfaces of the second IC switch chip;
• in connection with each external network interface of each second IC switch chip, demultiplexing a respective first stream of packets received via the external network interface to multiple internal network interfaces of the second IC switch chip;
• at each second IC switch chip, forward packets received via the internal network interfaces of the second IC switch chip amongst the internal network interfaces of the second IC switch chip;
• in connection with each external network interface of each second IC switch chip, multiplexing at least a second stream of packets and a third stream of packets received via multiple internal network interfaces of the second IC switch chip to the external network interface;
• forwarding, by each second network switch, packets received from external network interfaces of the respective second IC switch chip to the plurality of first network switches via a respective plurality of communication links between the second network switch and each first network switch among the plurality of first network switches;
• and
• transmitting, by each first network switch among the plurality of first network switches, packets received from the plurality of second network switches to the plurality of network devices via the plurality of downlink ports.