Abstract: The user system for controlling connections in a switching system should be decoupled from the hardware architecture of the switching system. The switching control system introduces an autonomous system for controlling connections at the physical level which system allows the user systems to formulate their connection requests in a manner which is independent of the hardware structure of the switching system.

Abstract: A coordination system coordinates connection requests of a modular connection system to a switching control system. The connection system controls connections at a logic level, and the switching control system controls connections at a physical level. Coordination modules have the following elements. A receiver receives and buffer-stores connection requests produced from the connection system for an active connection end point involved with a connection. A connection request, which is buffer-stored by the coordination modules, is passed on to the switching control system when the coordination modules have received control over an active connection end point. Control over a specific active connection end point is surrendered to one another such that only one coordination module has control over this specific active connection end point at a specific point in time.