Integrated Network Switch Having Universal Shelf Architecture With Flexible Shelf Mapping

1. An integrated network switch comprising: a plurality of peripheral shelves, each having a plurality of ports for respective peripheral devices; a common control; an interface disposed between the common control and the peripheral shelves; a plurality of switching means included in said common control, each having switch ports for selectively inter-connecting ports corresponding to said peripheral devices; means for identifying each of said plurality of switch means; means for identifying a peripheral shelf as an identified peripheral shelf, including a shelf type of said identified peripheral shelf and port numbers associated with the identified peripheral shelf; means for identifying available switch means of said common control for ports associated with each shelf to be connected to the switch means; and means for dynamically designating ports of the identified peripheral shelf to switch ports of the available switch means.

2. An integrated network switch comprising: a plurality of peripheral shelves, each having a plurality of ports arranged in groups, each port group associated with a a plurality of peripheral devices; a plurality of interfaces connected to a plurality of busses for coupling a common control and the peripheral shelves, said common control including a plurality of switch means for selectively interconnecting ports of said port groups; means for identifying each peripheral shelf by at least a shelf identifier and associated port numbers; and means for dynamically assigning the associated ports of an identified shelf to an available switch means of said common control.

3. The integrated switch of claim 2 further comprising means for identifying each of said switch means and storage means for storing the identifications of said switch means and said peripheral shelves.

4. The integrated switch of claim 2 wherein said peripheral shelves include at least a first type of peripheral shelf and a second type of peripheral shelf and said means for identifying includes means for identifying each peripheral shelf by a shelf type.

5. The integrated switch of claim 2 wherein a first group of peripheral shelves is co-located with said common control to form a first shelf group and a second group of peripheral shelves is remotely located from said common control to form at least a second shelf group.

6. The integrated switch of claim 2 further including a first plurality of peripheral shelves forming a first shelf group and a second plurality of peripheral shelves forming a second shelf group, wherein said first shelf group is coupled to said common control through an interface of a first type and said second shelf group is coupled to said common control through an interface of a second type.

7. The integrated switch of claim 6 wherein said interface of said first type is a copper interface and said interface of said second type is an optical fiber interface.

8. The integrated switch of claim 2 wherein said means for dynamically assigning the associated ports comprises, means for assigning a shelf number to each peripheral shelf which is to be mapped to a switch means and storing that shelf number along with the identification of the shelf, means for assigning a free interface to the shelf to be mapped and storing the assignment, and means for coupling the interface to a switching means.

9. The integrated switch of claim 8 wherein said means for assigning a free interface to the shelf to be mapped comprises, means for identifying an interface type associated with the shelf to be mapped, means for determining if the shelf group of the shelf to be mapped has been assigned an interface, means for assigning the shelf to be mapped to the previously assigned interface of the shelf group if ports of that interface remain available and assigning the shelf to an available interface if the shelf group of the shelf to be mapped has not been assigned an interface or if no free ports are available at the interface previously assigned to the shelf group.

10. The integrated switch of claim 2 wherein said interfaces comprise a first group of interfaces coupled to said switching means and a second group of interfaces coupled to said peripheral shelves, said interfaces of said second group being selectively coupled said interfaces of said second group.

11. The integrated switch of claim 5 further comprising a first plurality of groups of peripheral shelves co-located with said common control and a second plurality of groups of peripheral shelves located remotely from said common control.

12. For use in an integrated network switch which includes a plurality of ports arranged in groups, each port group associated with a peripheral shelf, said switch including a common control connected by communication bus to interfaces for coupling said common control and peripheral shelves, said common control including a plurality of switch means for selectively interconnecting ports of said port groups, a method for dynamically assigning ports of the peripheral shelves to selected switch means comprising the steps of: identifying each peripheral shelf by at least a shelf identifier and port numbers associated with the peripheral shelf, and assigning ports of a shelf to a switch means each time a shelf is added to the integrated network.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the steps of identifying each of said switch means with a designator and storing the identifications of said switch means and the identifications said peripheral shelves.

14. The method of claim 12 including the steps of providing said integrated network switch with peripheral shelves of at least a first type and a second type, and identifying each peripheral shelf by at least a shelf type.

15. The method of claim 12 including the step of co-locating a first group of peripheral shelves with said common control to form a first shelf group and locating a second group of peripheral shelves remote from said common control to form at least a second shelf group.

16. The method of claim 12 further including providing a first plurality of peripheral shelves forming a first shelf group and a second plurality of peripheral shelves forming a second shelf group, and including the step of coupling said first shelf group to said common control through an interface of a first type and coupling said second shelf group to said common control through an interface of a second type.

17. The method of claim 16 further including the step of providing a copper interface as the interface of said first type and providing an optical fiber interface as the interface of said second type.

18. The method of claim 12 further including the steps of assigning a shelf number to each peripheral shelf which is to be mapped to a switch means and storing that shelf number along with the identification of the shelf, assigning a free interface to the shelf to be mapped and storing the assignment, and coupling the interface to a switching means.

19. The method of claim 18 including the further steps of identifying an interface type associated with the shelf to be mapped, determining if the shelf group of the shelf to be mapped has been assigned an interface, assigning the shelf to be mapped to the previously assigned interface of the shelf group if ports of that interface remain available and assigning the shelf to an available interface if the shelf group of the shelf to be mapped has not been assigned an interface or if no free ports are available at the interface previously assigned to the shelf group.

20. The method of claim 16 further including the steps of providing a first group of interfaces coupled to said switching means and a second group of interfaces coupled to said peripheral shelves, said interfaces of said second group being selectively coupled said interfaces of said second group.

21. The method of claim 15 further including the steps of providing a first plurality of groups of peripheral shelves co-located with said common control and providing a second plurality of groups of peripheral shelves located remotely from said common control.

22. In an integrated network switch including a plurality of ports, said ports being arranged in port groups each port group associated with a peripheral shelf for peripheral devices, said switch including a common control and interfaces between the common control and peripheral shelves, said common control including a plurality switching means for selectively connecting ports corresponding to said peripheral devices on a shelf to ports corresponding to other peripheral devices; means for identifying each of said plurality of switch means; means for identifying peripheral shelf including a shelf type and port numbers associated with the shelf; means for identifying available switch means for ports associated with each shelf to be connected to the switch means; and means for dynamically designating ports of a shelf to a switch means, comprising means for assigning a shelf number to each peripheral shelf which is to be mapped to a switch means and storing that shelf number along with the identification of the shelf, means for assigning a free interface to the shelf to be mapped and storing the assignment, and means for coupling the interface to a switching means; and wherein said means for assigning a free interface to the shelf to be mapped comprises, means for identifying the interface type associated with the shelf to be mapped, means for determining if the shelf group of the shelf to be mapped has been assigned an interface, means for assigning the shelf to be mapped to the previously assigned interface of the shelf group if ports of that interface remain available and assigning the shelf to an available interface if the shelf group of the shelf to be mapped has not been assigned an interface or if no free ports are available at the interface previously assigned to the shelf group.