System for providing fabric activity switch control in a communications system

摘要

Disclosed is a system for providing redundancy on a communications switch platform having a data plane for processing data. The data plane includes an active fabric having an ingress and an egress and establishing a first datapath, a redundant fabric having an ingress and an egress and establishing a second datapath, and a fabric switch for aligning the egress of one of said fabrics to a system output. A separate and independent control plane is provided for monitoring the processing of data. The control plane includes: (i) a plurality of monitors operatively connected to monitor the status of the active and redundant fabrics in the data plane for a fault; and (ii) a fabric activity switch circuit adapted to determine whether the fault occurred in the active fabric in the data plane, and if so, to generate a fabric activity switch signal directed to said fabric switch in the data plane.