In some embodiments, a switch module within the switch fabric 600 (e.g., a switch module associated with the first stage 632, a switch module associated with the second stage 634, a switch module associated with the third stage 636) can be configured to select an egress port from a list of eligible egress ports (i.e., the egress ports that can lead to the destination device) in a random fashion, based on a round robin selection, or in any other suitable means. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, after switch module H2 receives a data cell destined to edge device E5 from switch module G2, switch module H2 is configured to select an egress port from a set of egress ports that are operatively coupled to edge device E5, and then send the data cell from the selected egress port to edge device E5. The selected egress port can be selected from the set of egress ports operatively coupled to edge device E5 by switch module H2 based on a round robin selection for the data cell. According to the round robin selection, as an example, switch module H2 is configured to select a first egress port from the set of egress ports operatively coupled to edge device E5 for a first data cell, select a second egress port from the set of egress ports operatively coupled to edge device E5 for a consecutive second data cell, select a third egress port from the set of egress ports operatively coupled to edge device E5 for a consecutive third data cell, so on and so forth until every egress port from the set of egress ports operatively coupled to edge device E5 has been selected once, and then repeat the same round robin pattern to select egress ports from the set of egress ports operatively coupled to edge device E5, starting from the first egress port again, for sending subsequent data cells.
