Defining a switch device route based on required signal characteristics and resource dependencies

1. A computer-implemented method for defining a route through one or more switch devices, the method comprising:

receiving input specifying required signal characteristics of a first route;

determining physical characteristics of channels on the one or more switch devices;

receiving input specifying at least a portion of the first route; and

automatically completing the route based on the required signal characteristics and the physical characteristics, wherein said automatically completing the route comprises automatically determining one or more channels that complete the route, wherein the automatically determined one or more channels have physical characteristics matching the required signal characteristics.

2. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein said determining physical characteristics of the channels on the one or more switch devices comprises querying one or more switch instrument drivers for physical switching characteristics of the channels on the one or more switch devices.

3. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein said receiving input specifying required signal characteristics of the first route comprise receiving input specifying one or more of:

a maximum signal voltage;

a maximum signal switching current capacity;

a maximum signal routing frequency; and

a maximum signal continuous carry power.

4. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein said determining physical characteristics of channels on the one or more switch devices comprises determining one or more of:

a maximum signal voltage for the channels;

a maximum signal switching current capacity for the channels;

a maximum signal routing frequency for the channels; and

a maximum signal continuous carry power for the channels.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface for receiving the required signal characteristics of the first route;

wherein said receiving input specifying required signal characteristics of the first route comprises receiving user input specifying the required signal characteristics through the graphical user interface.

6. The method of claim 5 ,

wherein the graphical user interface displays a table for entering values for the required signal characteristics;

wherein said receiving user input specifying the required signal characteristics comprises receiving user input entering one or more values in the table.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

displaying visual information representing the route on a graphical user interface;

for at least one automatically determined channel in the route, displaying a list of possible channels to use instead of the automatically determined channel, wherein the displayed channels include only channels that have physical characteristics matching the required signal characteristics; and

receiving user input to the graphical user interface selecting a channel from the displayed list to use instead of the automatically determined channel.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving input specifying desired resource dependencies of the first route;

receiving input specifying desired resource dependencies of a second route; and

matching said desired resource dependencies of the first route with said desired resource dependencies of the second route.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface for receiving the desired resource dependencies of the first route;

wherein said receiving desired resource dependencies of the first route comprises receiving user input to the resource dependencies of the first route through the graphical user interface.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface for receiving the desired resource dependencies of the second route;

wherein said receiving desired resource dependencies of the second route comprises receiving user input defining the resource dependencies of the second route through the graphical user interface.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein receiving input specifying desired resource dependencies of the first route and receiving input specifying desired resource dependencies of the second route comprises:

receiving a list of one or more physical hardwires between said switch devices in the first route and in the second route.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein

said matching said desired resource dependencies of the first route with said desired resource dependencies of the second route comprises of using route elements that can coexist at the same time between the first route and the second route.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein said matching said desired resource dependencies of the first route with said desired resource dependencies of the second route comprises:

analyzing said hardwires between each of said one or more switch devices in the first route and in the second route;

selecting the switch devices which match said desired resource dependencies of the first route and said desired resource dependencies of the second route.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface for receiving the desired signal characteristics of the second route;

wherein said receiving desired signal characteristics of the second route comprises receiving user input defining the characteristics of the second route through the graphical user interface.

15. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

receiving input specifying desired signal characteristics of a second route.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving input specifying desired resource dependencies of the first route;

wherein said specifying desired resource dependencies of the first route comprise:

definitely exclude or definitely include desired resource dependencies of the first route.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein said determining physical characteristics of one or more channels on said one or more switch devices comprises:

considering physical path proximities between a plurality of channels on said one or more switch devices to minimize cross-talk and other high frequency effects.

18. A computer-implemented method for graphically defining a route through one or more switch devices, the method comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface for defining the route;

receiving user input to the graphical user interface specifying required signal characteristics of the route;

displaying a first input element on the graphical user interface for specifying a first endpoint of the route, wherein the first input element includes a selectable list of switch devices, wherein the list of switch devices comprises switch devices having channels with physical characteristics that match the required signal characteristics;

receiving user input to the first input element selecting a first switch device from the list of switch devices; and

configuring the first endpoint of the route to be located on the first switch device in response to the user input selecting the first switch device.

19. The method of claim 18 ,

wherein the list of switch devices excludes switch devices not having channels with physical characteristics that match the required signal characteristics.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

displaying a second input element representing the first switch device in response to the user input selecting the first switch device, wherein the second input element includes a selectable list of channels for specifying a channel for the first endpoint, wherein the list of channels comprises channels having physical characteristics that match the required signal characteristics;

receiving user input to the second input element selecting a first channel from the list of switch devices; and

configuring the first endpoint of the route to be located on the first channel in response to the user input selecting the first channel.

21. The method of claim 20 ,

wherein the list of channels excludes channels with physical characteristics that do not match the required signal characteristics.

22. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

automatically determining channels of the first switch device that have physical characteristics that match the required signal characteristics; and

automatically configuring the first endpoint of the route to be located on one of the determined channels.

23. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

displaying a second input element on the graphical user interface for specifying a second endpoint of the route, wherein the second input element includes a selectable list of switch devices, wherein the list of switch devices comprises switch devices having channels with physical characteristics that match the required signal characteristics;

receiving user input to the second input element selecting a second switch device from the list of switch devices; and

configuring the second endpoint of the route to be located on the second switch device in response to the user input selecting the second switch device.

24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising:

automatically completing the route based on the required signal characteristics, wherein said automatically completing the route comprises automatically determining one or more channels on one or more switch devices that complete the route, wherein the automatically determined one or more channels on one or more switch devices have physical characteristics matching the required signal characteristics.

25. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

displaying an icon representing the first switch device in response to the user input selecting the first switch device.

26. A memory medium for defining a route through one or more switch devices, the memory medium comprising program instructions executable to:

receive input specifying required signal characteristics of a first route;

determine physical characteristics of channels on the one or more switch devices;

receive input specifying at least a portion of the first route; and

automatically complete the route based on the required signal characteristics and the physical characteristics, wherein said automatically completing the route comprises automatically determining one or more channels that complete the route, wherein the automatically determined one or more channels have physical characteristics matching the required signal characteristics.

27. The memory medium of claim 26 ,

wherein said determine physical characteristics of the channels on the one or more switch devices comprises query one or more switch instrument drivers for physical switching characteristics of the channels on the one or more switch devices.

28. The memory medium of claim 26 , the program instructions further executable to:

display a graphical user interface for receiving the required signal characteristics of the first route;

wherein said receive input specifying required signal characteristics of the first route comprises receive user input specifying the required signal characteristics through the graphical user interface.

29. The memory medium of claim 28 ,

wherein the graphical user interface displays a table for entering values for the required signal characteristics;

wherein said receive user input specifying the required signal characteristics comprises receive user input entering one or more values in the table.

30. The memory medium of claim 26 , the program instructions further executable to:

display visual information representing the route on a graphical user interface;

for at least one automatically determined channel in the route, display a list of possible channels to use instead of the automatically determined channel, wherein the displayed channels include only channels that have physical characteristics matching the required signal characteristics; and

receive user input to the graphical user interface selecting a channel from the displayed list to use instead of the automatically determined channel.

31. The memory medium of claim 26 , the program instructions further executable to:

receive input specifying desired resource dependencies of the first route;

receive input specifying desired resource dependencies of a second route; and

match said desired resource dependencies of the first route with said desired resource dependencies of the second route.

32. The memory medium of claim 31 , the program instructions further executable to:

display a graphical user interface for receiving the desired resource dependencies of the first route;

wherein said receive desired resource dependencies of the first route comprises receive user input to the resource dependencies of the first route through the graphical user interface.

33. A memory medium for graphically defining a route through one or more switch devices, the memory medium comprising program instructions executable to:

display a graphical user interface for defining the route;

receive user input to the graphical user interface specifying required signal characteristics of the route;

display a first input element on the graphical user interface for specifying a first endpoint of the route, wherein the first input element includes a selectable list of switch devices, wherein the list of switch devices comprises switch devices having channels with physical characteristics that match the required signal characteristics;

receive user input to the first input element selecting a first switch device from the list of switch devices; and

configure the first endpoint of the route to be located on the first switch device in response to the user input selecting the first switch device.