Lite network switch architecture

1. A system, comprising:

a first plurality of switch elements of a network switch, wherein each switch element of the first plurality of switch elements includes a different application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC);

a second plurality of switch elements cross-connected to the first plurality of switch elements and configured to route network traffic through the network switch in accordance with a predefined configuration, wherein each switch element of the second plurality of switch elements includes a different application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC);

a fabric connect module including a cross-connect module including a plurality of line cards, wherein each line card of the plurality of line cards includes the corresponding different application-specific integrated circuit of one corresponding switch element from the first plurality of switch elements and the corresponding different application-specific integrated circuit of one corresponding switch element from the second plurality of switch elements, and wherein there exists at maximum one corresponding direct communication connection between each of the first plurality of switch elements and each of the second plurality of switch elements; and

a fan control module configured to operate a forced convection unit.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein there exists a corresponding electrical connection between each of the first plurality of switch elements and each of the second plurality of switch elements.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first plurality of switch elements of the network switch includes a plurality of ports and each of the second plurality of switch elements of the network switch includes a plurality of ports.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein network traffic traversing any two switch elements of the first plurality of switch elements or the second plurality of switch elements requires traversing only three switch elements.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein network traffic traversing any two switch elements of the first plurality of switch elements and the second plurality of switch elements requires traversing only two switch elements.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein each switch element includes at least one port and each port is a pre-configured uplink port or a downlink port.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the network switch is pre-configured such that network traffic traverses passively from a pre-configured uplink port to a pre-configured downlink port.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein each switch element includes at least one port and each port is pre-configured as an uplink port or a downlink port for a particular network usage upon installation of the network switch.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein each switch element includes a port and each port of each switch element is pre-configured as an uplink port or a downlink port such that all network traffic traverses passively from a pre-configured uplink port to a pre-configured downlink port.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein each switch element includes a port configured to passively route only some network traffic such that at least some of the network traffic is blocked.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein each switch element includes a port configured to drop packets intended to traverse the network switch.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein a switch element includes an uplink port configured to receive network traffic as indicated by the network switch to a device sending the network traffic.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the network switch is configured to passively route network traffic in accordance with a particular usage of a network using the network switch.

14. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a fan control carrier module configured to support the fan control module by providing power and control signals to power and control the operation of the forced convection unit.

15. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first printed circuit board (PCB) including the cross-connect module; and

a second PCB separate and distinct from the first PCB, the second PCB including a connector to couple the fabric connect module to a horizontal control plane module.

16. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a control module including a central processing unit for controlling operations of each switch element; and

a horizontal control plane module configured to electrically connect the control module to the fabric connect module via connectors of the horizontal plane control module.

17. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a chassis management module configured to control a fan via a system inter-integrated circuit bus.

18. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a complex programmable logic device configured to control behavior of the forced convection unit.

19. A system, comprising:

a first group of switch elements and a second group of switch elements, including:

a pre-configured plurality of uplink ports, and

a pre-configured plurality of downlink ports cross-connected to the uplink ports,

wherein the system is configured to transport network traffic from one or more of the uplink ports to one or more of the downlink ports in accordance with pre-configured routes, wherein each switch element of the first group of switch elements includes a different application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and wherein each switch element of the second group of switch elements includes a different application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC);

a fabric connect module including a cross-connect module including a plurality of line cards, wherein each line card of the plurality of line cards includes the corresponding different application-specific integrated circuit of one corresponding switch element from the first group of switch elements and the corresponding different application-specific integrated circuit of one corresponding switch element from the second group of switch elements, and wherein there exists at maximum one corresponding direct communication connection between each of the first group of switch elements and each of the second group of switch elements; and

a fan control module configured to operate a forced convection unit.

20. A method, comprising:

receiving network traffic by a plurality of uplink ports of at least a portion of a plurality of switch elements of a plurality of line cards; and

routing the received network traffic to a plurality of downlink ports of at least a portion of the plurality of switch elements of a network switch;

wherein each switch element of a first group of switch elements included in the plurality of switch elements includes a different application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), each switch element of a second group of switch elements included in the plurality of switch elements includes a different application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and the network switch includes a fabric connect module including a cross-connect module including the plurality of line cards, and each line card of the plurality of line cards includes the corresponding different application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) of one corresponding switch element from the first group included in the plurality of switch elements and the corresponding different application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) of one corresponding switch element from the second group included in the plurality of switch elements;

wherein there exists at maximum one corresponding direct communication connection between each of the first group of switch elements and each of the second group of switch elements; and

wherein the network switch includes a fan control module operating a forced convection unit.