Data center architecture utilizing optical switches

摘要

Embodiments of the invention describe flexible (i.e., elastic) data center architectures capable of meeting exascale, while maintaining low latency and using reasonable sizes of electronic packet switches, through the use of optical circuit switches such as optical time, wavelength, waveband and space circuit switching technologies. This flexible architecture enables the reconfigurability of the interconnectivity of servers and storage devices within a data center to respond to the number, size, type and duration of the various applications being requested at any given point in time.

主权项

1. A hierarchical network of optical circuit switches, comprising:
a plurality of top of rack (ToR) optical circuit switches, arranged in a first level of optical circuit switches, for communicatively coupling to a plurality of host devices in a network rack; and a plurality of spine optical circuit switches, arranged in a second level of optical circuit switches, communicatively coupled to the plurality of ToR optical circuit switches to provide interconnecting communication links to the plurality of host devices.