Scalable communications network employing shared logical nodes

A method for scaling a communications network having at least a first and a second source for providing a plurality of program streams, the method comprising the steps of:

• aggregating at least one physical node each to a first and second logical node to form a first logical node and a second logical node, wherein each physical node comprises at least one subscriber, and the at least one physical node is allocated to each of the first logical node and the second logical node so as to satisfy an expected peak subscriber usage constraint;
• coupling the first logical node and the second logical node to the first and second source respectively to receive a corresponding set of program streams;
• and
• shifting at least one physical node from the first logical node to the second logical node so as to satisfy a new peak subscriber usage constraint.

A scalable communications system comprising:

• at least one modulator bank for providing a corresponding set of program streams, the at least one modulator bank including at least one modulator;
• at least one combiner/splitter, coupled to a corresponding modulator bank, for providing duplicate corresponding sets of program streams;
• and
• at least one logical node, each logical node coupled to a corresponding combiner/splitter, each logical node including at least one physical node, each physical node for receiving one of the duplicate corresponding sets of program streams, the physical node including at least one subscriber,
• wherein the at least one physical node is allocated to the at least one logical node according to an expected peak subscriber usage constraint and wherein the at least one physical node in the corresponding at least one logical node is shiftable to another logical node so as to satisfy a new expected peak subscriber usage constraint.