In some embodiments, a switch fabric system includes multiple access switches configured to be operatively coupled to a switch fabric. The multiple access switches include multiple ports each to be operatively coupled to a peripheral processing device. A first set of ports from the multiple ports and a second set of ports from the multiple ports are managed by a first network control entity when the switch fabric system is in a first configuration. The first set of ports is managed by the first network control entity and the second set of ports is managed by a second network control entity when the switch fabric system is in a second configuration. The second network control entity is automatically initiated when the system is changed from the first configuration to the second configuration.