A technique for accomplishing deadlock free routing through a multi-stage cross-point packet switch

The technique for deadlock free routing through a multi-stage cross-point packet switch involves defining several prescribed routes through the network such that a packet can be carried from individual nodes within the nodes over different corresp. routes to every other node within the nodes. Each defined routes extends over at least one link. The prescribed routes is defined so as to parse the network into two partitions connected to respectively two groups of differing nodes, such that packets that are to transit between two nodes in the first group and connected solely to the first network partition would not be carried over any route having a link extending into the second network partition. All of the prescribed routes are stored in a resulting route table.