1. A method for supervising a distributed switch having a plurality of distributed switch processors, comprising: receiving state information at a workstation from a distributed switch processor within the plurality of distributed switch processors, said plurality of distributed switch processors being grouped into a plurality of distributed switch function subsets, each distributed switch function subset of said plurality of distributed switch function subsets having at least one distributed switch processor, the at least one distributed switch processor of each distributed switch function subset to perform one specialized function of a plurality of specialized functions; constructing a graphical-user interface (GUI) at the workstation using the state information; displaying the GUI at the workstation, the GUI including a first GUI component associated with a first distributed switch function subset, the first GUI component showing state information about a first distributed switch processor of the first distributed switch function subset, and a second GUI component associated with a second distributed switch function subset, the second GUI component showing state information about a second distributed switch processor of the second distributed switch function subset.