Fault tolerant network switch
US6639895B1 · kind B1 · utility
13Cited by
20References
36Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 5, 1998 |
| Grant date | Oct 28, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 5, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L49/357
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A fault tolerant network switch includes two or more switches units and a highly reliable (i.e., one with no single point of failure) interconnect unit so that during normal operation both switches are actively handling network packets and upon the failure of one of the switch units, another switch unit takes over, ensuring continued normal network operation, with somewhat reduced performance. The failed switch unit can then be replaced and the network returned to its original performance without disturbance to the other switch or the network cable connections.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.