DISTRIBUTED PACKET SWITCH HAVING A WIRELESS CONTROL PLANE

摘要

A packet network device such as a network switch includes a number of functional cards or chassis modules at least some of which are connected to both an electrical backplane and a wireless backplane. The electrical backplane provides data plane signal paths and the wireless backplane provides control plane signal paths.

主权项

1. A backplane system, comprising:
a backplane circuit board; at least one line card connector located on the backplane circuit board; at least one switch fabric card connector located on the backplane circuit board; at least one route processing manager connector located on the backplane circuit board; a plurality of physical data connections that are included in the backplane circuit board and that extend between the at least one line card connector and the at least one switch fabric card connector, wherein the plurality of physical data connections are configured to provide for the communication of data plane traffic between at least one line card coupled to the at least one line card connector and at least one switch fabric card coupled to the at least one switch fabric card connector; and a wireless backplane subsystem that is configured to provide for wireless communication of control plane traffic between at least one line card coupled to the at least one line card connector, at least one switch fabric card coupled to the at least one switch fabric card connector, and at least one route processing manager coupled to the at least one route processing manager connector.