Flexible stacking port
View Patent ↗A stackable device having a plurality of data ports, wherein each of the data ports is capable of operating as a regular data port or a stacking port. A first set of one or more of the data ports is specified as a first flexible stacking port, and a second set of one or more of the data ports is specified as a second flexible stacking port. Each flexible stacking port can be individually configured to operate as an actual stacking port, if required by the configuration of an associated stack. If a flexible stacking port is not configured to operate as an actual stacking port, then the data port(s) included in the flexible stacking port are available to operate as regular data port(s).
1. A stackable device comprising a plurality of data ports, wherein the plurality of data ports includes all data ports of the stackable device, and wherein each of the plurality of data ports is configured to operate as a regular data port by default.
2. The stackable device of claim 1 , further comprising a first memory entry that stores information that identifies a first data port of the plurality of data ports as a first flexible stacking port of the stackable device, wherein the first flexible stacking port is configured to operate as a regular data port by default.
3. The stackable device of claim 2 , further comprising memory that stores configuration information identifying a stack configuration, wherein the configuration information indicates whether the first flexible stacking port should be configured as an actual stacking port in the stack configuration.
4. The stackable device of claim 3 , further comprising means for configuring the first flexible stacking port to operate as a first stacking port if the configuration information indicates that the first flexible stacking port should be configured as an actual stacking port.
5. The stackable device of claim 2 , further comprising a second memory entry that stores information that identifies a second data port of the plurality of data ports as a second flexible stacking port of the stackable device, wherein the second flexible stacking port is configured to operate as a regular data port by default.
6. The stackable device of claim 5 , further comprising memory that stores configuration information identifying a stack configuration, wherein the configuration information indicates whether the first and second flexible stacking ports should be configured as actual stacking ports in the stack configuration.
7. The stackable device of claim 6 , further comprising means for configuring the first flexible stacking port to operate as a first stacking port if the configuration information indicates that the first flexible stacking port should be configured as an actual stacking port.
8. The stackable device of claim 7 , further comprising means for configuring the second available stacking port to operate as a second stacking port if the configuration information indicates that the second flexible stacking port should be configured as an actual stacking port.
9. The stackable device of claim 2 , wherein the first memory entry further stores information that identifies one or more additional data ports of the plurality of data ports as being included in the first flexible stacking port.
10. The stackable device of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of data ports includes a first set of data ports, each having a first data transfer bandwidth, and a second set of data ports, each having a second data transfer bandwidth greater than the first data transfer bandwidth.
11. The stackable device of claim 10 , wherein the first data port is a member of the first set of data ports.
12. The stackable device of claim 10 , wherein the first data port is a member of the second set of data ports.
13. The stackable device of claim 2 , further comprising means for programming the first memory entry to store information that identifies anyone of the plurality of data ports as the first data port.
14. A method comprising:
configuring a first data port of a first stackable device to operate as a regular data port by default; and then
configuring the first data port of the first stackable device to operate as a first stacking port that couples the first stackable device to another stackable device.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising selecting the first data port from a plurality of data ports of the first stackable device.
16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:
identifying a configuration of a stack that includes the first stackable device; and then
configuring the first data port to operate as a first stacking port in response to the configuration of the stack.
17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
configuring a second data port of the first stackable device to operate as a regular data port; and
configuring the second data port of the first stackable device to operate as a second stacking port that couples the first stackable device to another stackable device.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising selecting the first and second data ports from a plurality of data ports of the first stackable device.
19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
configuring a second data port of the first stackable device to operate as a regular data port; and
configuring the first and second data ports of the first stackable device to operate as the first stacking port.
20. A method comprising:
selecting any first one of a plurality of data ports of a first stackable device as a first flexible stacking port;
configuring the first flexible stacking port to operate as a regular data port by default; and then
configuring the first flexible stacking port as an actual stacking port of the first stackable device.
21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising:
identifying a configuration of a stack that includes the first stackable device; and then
configuring the first flexible stacking port as an actual stacking port of the first stackable device in response to the configuration of the stack.
22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of data ports comprises all data ports of the first stackable device.
23. The method of claim 20 , further comprising:
selecting any second one of the plurality of data ports of the first stackable device as a second flexible stacking port; and
configuring the second flexible stacking port as an actual stacking port of the first stackable device.
24. The method of claim 20 , further comprising selecting any second one of the plurality of data ports of the first stackable device, wherein the first and second ones of the plurality of data ports, in combination, are included in the first flexible stacking port.