The subject invention is to be implemented in a high availability communication node comprising several adapters to be interconnected so that they can exchange or transfer information of the circuit or packet type.
In such an environment several solutions exist to perform this function.
One conventional solution consists in providing two dedicated busses linking the adapters, one being devoted to the circuit type exchanges and the other one being devoted to the packet type transfers. This solution leads to a complicated bus structure when implemented in a high availability environment requiring the duplication of all control and bus resources.
Another solution consists in providing a multipoint parallel bus to which the adapters are connected and in mixing the packet and circuit type information thereon. This solution leads to a large number of input/output interfaces which makes the hot plugging of the adapters difficult.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds