System and method for expansion of computer network switching system without disruption thereof

Switch fabric system comprising a first chassis for receiving a plurality of line cards each having a plurality of ports and at least two switch fabric cards wherein each line card comprises a plurality of link ports for linking the line card with the switch fabric card and each switch fabric card provides a switching bandwidth and wherein the system comprises a management unit for managing the traffic on the switch fabric cards wherein the management unit removes the traffic from one switch fabric card if the one switch fabric card is to be removed from the first chassis during operation while the other switch fabric card operates and transfers the traffic from the removed switch fabric card to the other switch fabric card in the first chassis and wherein:

• the system further comprises a second chassis wherein the switch fabric card of the first chassis is linkable with a respective switch fabric card of the second chassis;
• and
• the first chassis comprises a switch fabric card for switching at least one set of m link ports and receives at least one set of m/2 link ports from the associated switch fabric card of the second chassis and wherein m/2 link ports of the m link ports are fed through to the associated switch fabric card of the second chassis and the switch fabric card switches at least one set of m/2 link ports of the first chassis combined with at least one set of m/2 link ports of the second chassis, further wherein each of m and n are positive integers.

Switch fabric card for a switch fabric system having at least a first and a second chassis for receiving a plurality of line cards each having a plurality of ports and a plurality of switch fabric cards wherein each line card comprises a plurality of link ports for linking the line card with the switch fabric card comprising:

• at least one switch for switching a plurality of link ports receiving a first set of link ports from the first chassis and a second set of link ports from a first interface;
• a second switch for switching a plurality of link ports receiving a third set of link ports from the first chassis and a fourth set of link ports from the first interface;
• and
• a feed through coupling for coupling at least a second set of link ports to a second interface, wherein:
• the first and the second interface couples with a second switch fabric card in the second chassis;
• and
• the feed through coupling comprises a fifth and a sixth set of link ports to the second interface.

Switch fabric system comprising a first chassis for receiving a plurality of line cards each having a plurality of ports and at least one switch fabric card wherein each line card comprises a plurality of link ports and a back plane for linking the line cards with the switch fabric card and each switch fabric card provides a switching bandwidth and wherein the system comprises a management unit for managing the traffic on the switch fabric cards wherein the back plane comprises at least one coupling field which can couple the link ports of the line card with the switch fabric cards, the management unit redirects the traffic through existing port couplings if the traffic through the coupling of at least one coupling field is interrupted and wherein the system comprises a second chassis wherein the switch fabric card of the first chassis is linkable with a respective switch fabric card of the second chassis;

• wherein the ports of each line card are distributed to a plurality of coupling fields and each coupling field is coupled with all switch fabric cards;
• wherein the back plane comprises a line card connector field and a switch fabric card connector field;
• wherein at least 2n coupling fields are associated to each line card connector field, n being an integer number greater or equal to one;
• and
• wherein the a first line card connector field and a second line card connector field are placed to the left and right side of the switch fabric card connector field in the center of the back plane thus creating four quadrants, each quadrant comprising the 2n coupling fields.