1. An apparatus, comprising:
a destination edge device configured to receive a first validation packet according to a switch fabric validation protocol, the destination edge device configured to validate a plurality of data paths through a distributed switch fabric from a source edge device to the destination edge device based on the first validation packet,
the destination edge device configured to send, in response to receiving the first validation packet, a second validation packet to a peripheral processing device, the destination edge device configured to send the second validation packet according to a validation protocol different from the switch fabric validation protocol.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An electronic locking system, comprising:
(a) a cylinder insertable within and rotatable with respect to a shell;
(b) an electrically powered lock in said cylinder including a lock member movable between an open position and a locked position, said lock member in said locked position being capable of interfering with rotation of said cylinder within said shell; and
(c) a key engageable with said cylinder, said key having a battery electrically connectable with said lock;
(d) at least one of said key and said lock being capable of generating a signal when said battery is electrically connected with said locking mechanism;
(e) said lock further including a solenoid coil, and a solenoid plunger movable between an interfering position and a non-interfering position, said plunger in said interfering position resisting movement of said lock member, and said plunger in said non-interfering position allowing movement of said lock member, said solenoid coil being electrically energizable by said battery in response to said signal so as to move said plunger from said interfering position to said non-interfering position, said lock member having a spring mechanism in said cylinder urging said lock member away from said solenoid plunger when said plunger is in said interfering position.
2. The electronic locking system of claim 1 wherein both said solenoid coil and said solenoid plunger are contained within a cavity in said cylinder.
3. The electronic locking system of claim 1 wherein said key includes a housing containing said battery, said housing being engageable with said cylinder so as to rotate said cylinder with respect to said shell by rotation of said housing.
4. The electronic locking system of claim 3 wherein said spring mechanism also urges said cylinder and housing toward a home position when said cylinder is rotated away from said home position by said housing of said key.
5. An electronic locking system, comprising:
(a) an elongate cylinder having a longitudinal axis, said cylinder being insertable within and rotatable about said axis with respect to a shell;
(b) an electrically powered lock in said cylinder including a lock member movable between an open position and a locked position, said lock member in said locked position being capable of interfering with rotation of said cylinder within said shell; and
(c) a key engageable with said cylinder, said key having a battery electrically connectable with said lock;
(d) at least one of said key and said lock being capable of generating a signal when said battery is electrically connected with said lock;
(e) said cylinder having an internal cavity containing both a solenoid coil and a solenoid plunger of said lock, and said cylinder defining a keyway, said cavity being spaced apart from said keyway longitudinally with respect to said cylinder, said solenoid coil being electrically energizable by said battery in response to said signal so as to move said plunger to allow movement of said lock member from said locked position to said open position.
6. The electronic locking system of claim 5 wherein said cavity has a greater axial length than said keyway.
7. The electronic locking system of claim 5 wherein said key includes a housing containing said battery, said housing being engageable with said keyway so as to rotate said cylinder with respect to said shell by rotation of said housing.
8. An electronic locking system comprising:
(a) a lock; and
(b) a key engageable with said lock, said key including a battery and a clock powered by said battery, said clock being capable of signaling a time to said lock while said key is engaged with said lock.
9. The electronic locking system of claim 8 wherein said key includes a key computer system, said key computer system causing said time to be signaled to said lock.
10. The electronic locking system of claim 9 wherein said key computer system causes said time to be signaled to said lock automatically when said key is engaged with said lock.
11. The electronic locking system of claim 8 wherein:
(a) said lock includes a lock computer system electrically connectable to said battery and capable of signaling an identification of said lock to said key; and
(b) said key includes a key computer system including a memory capable of storing said identification of said lock in association with time data from said clock, regardless of whether or not said lock is openable by said key.
12. The electronic locking system of claim 8 wherein said lock includes a lock computer system including a memory electrically connectable to said battery, said lock computer system being capable of storing time data from said clock.
13. An electronic locking system comprising;
(a) a lock;
(b) a key engageable with said lock, said key including a battery and a clock powered by said battery;
(c) said lock including a lock computer system electrically connectable to said battery and capable of signaling an identification of said lock to said key in response to an electrical connection to said battery;
(d) said key including a memory capable of storing said identification of said lock regardless of whether or not said lock is openable by said key.
14. The electronic locking system of claim 13 wherein said memory is capable of storing said identification of said lock in association with time data from said clock.