Cluster-based distributed virtual circuit optical switch network system

Abstract

This system provides a cluster-based distributed virtual circuit type optical switch network system for transmitting multiple optical signals. [Solution] In a cluster-based distributed virtual circuit optical switch network system 1000, a lower optical switch network module 100 includes a plurality of first optical switch network subsystems 110 and is defined as a cluster. An upper optical switch network module 200 includes at least one second optical switch network subsystem 210, 210' and has a plurality of interconnected upper optical switches 220, 220'. The upper optical switches 220, 220' are each connected to a first optical switch network subsystem 110. When an optical signal is transmitted between clusters, the optical signal is transmitted from a first optical switch network subsystem 110, via the upper optical switches 220, 220', to another first optical switch network subsystem 110.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cluster-based distributed virtual circuit optical switch network system, and particularly to a distributed virtual circuit optical switch network system with a two-layer architecture that can achieve high-efficiency and flexible optical signal transmission between different clusters.

Background Art

[0002] Current high-performance computing (HPC) relies on supercomputers or computing clusters to solve large-scale and complex computational problems. These problems include application fields such as scientific simulations, climate predictions, and biological genome analysis. Due to the increase in data volume and computational requirements, the requirements for the computational processing speed and data transmission efficiency of high-performance computing (HPC) systems are improving. HPC systems need to have high-speed data transmission and powerful processing capabilities. Graphics processing units (GPUs) have parallel computing capabilities and are the core technology driving the development of high-performance computing (HPC). GPUs accelerate the training process of neural networks in the field of artificial intelligence. GPUs enable machine learning models to process a large amount of complex data quickly and accurately.

[0003] With the increase in the number of GPUs and computational requirements, it is necessary to effectively connect a large number of GPUs to meet high-performance computing requirements. The network infrastructure needs to have high bandwidth, low latency, and high-efficiency data processing capabilities. Virtual optical switch network technology realizes high-speed and low-latency data transmission. Virtual optical switch network technology dynamically adjusts the bandwidth. Virtual optical switch network technology supports cooperative processing between graphics processing units (GPUs) and improves the overall computational performance.

[0004] Conventional virtual circuit optical switch network systems typically employ a single-tier network topology. When using a single-tier network topology for data transmission, the number of required optical switches increases as the number of GPU racks in the system increases. This necessitates upgrading the optical components within the switches to meet the demand for data transmission bandwidth between a large number of GPUs. Upgrading optical components to a specific scale significantly increases manufacturing difficulty and cost non-linearly. Therefore, a single-tier network topology is only applicable to small to medium-sized HPC data centers.

[0005] In light of this, existing technologies face problems of insufficient bandwidth and excessively high manufacturing costs for optical switches when serving large-scale HPC data centers, and these issues urgently need to be addressed. [Overview of the project]

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a cluster-based distributed virtual circuit optical switch network system. The cluster-based distributed virtual circuit optical switch network system consists of lower optical switch network modules and upper optical switch network modules. The lower optical switch network module includes a plurality of first optical switch network subsystems. The upper optical switch network module includes at least one second optical switch network subsystem. The modules form a two-layer optical switch network system topology. In the present invention, each first optical switch network subsystem is defined as one cluster. The second optical switch network subsystem connects a plurality of clusters. In the optical switch network system of the present invention, each cluster is the topology of a conventional single-layer virtual circuit optical switch network system. Optical signal transmission takes place in each first optical switch network subsystem (i.e., cluster) of the lower optical switch network module. Optical signal transmission also takes place in the second optical switch network subsystem. Optoelectronic-optical conversion takes place between the lower optical switch network module and the upper optical switch network module, thereby reselecting the wavelength. The above conversion enables signal transmission between different clusters. Based on the actual network bandwidth requirements, the specifications and number of each first optical switch network subsystem (i.e., each cluster), the second optical switch network subsystem, and all optical switches used in the system can be determined. Therefore, the optical switches used in the system of the present invention can adopt the same specifications and are not affected by the overall system size. When the system size increases, there is no need to adopt higher-spec optical switches, and construction costs can be effectively suppressed. The system has technical advantages of high flexibility, ultra-low latency, high bandwidth, and high efficiency in the optical signal transmission process. The system enables larger-scale inter-cluster data transmission with lower manufacturing costs and flexible transmission path selection. The system effectively transmits data between server racks corresponding to optical network systems of different clusters.

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the present invention discloses a cluster-based distributed virtual circuit optical switch network system for transmitting multiple optical signals. The cluster-based distributed virtual circuit optical switch network system includes a lower optical switch network module and a higher optical switch network module. The lower optical switch network module includes a plurality of first optical switch network subsystems. Each of the first optical switch network subsystems is defined as a cluster. The higher optical switch network module includes at least one second optical switch network subsystem. The at least one second optical switch network subsystem includes a plurality of interconnected higher optical switches. The higher optical switches are each connected to the first optical switch network subsystems. When the optical signals are transmitted between the clusters, the optical signals are transmitted from one of the first optical switch network subsystems to another first optical switch network subsystem via the higher optical switch of the at least one second optical switch network subsystem.

[0008] In embodiments of the present invention, each of the first optical switch network subsystems includes a plurality of lower optical switches, at least one bridge optical switch, a plurality of top switches, and at least one bridge top switch. In each of the first optical switch network subsystems, the lower optical switches are connected to the top switches, the at least one bridge optical switch is connected to the at least one bridge top switch, and the lower optical switches and the at least one bridge optical switch are interconnected to form the cluster.

[0009] In an embodiment of the present invention, each of the higher-level optical switches is connected to the at least one bridgetop switch, and the lower-level optical switch network module and the higher-level optical switch network module are interconnected through the at least one bridgetop switch.

[0010] In embodiments of the present invention, when the optical signal is transmitted within the same cluster, the optical signal is transmitted through the lower optical switch within the same first optical switch network subsystem. When the optical signal is transmitted between different clusters, the optical signal is transmitted from one of the top switches in the first optical switch network subsystem to the lower optical switch, then to at least one bridge optical switch, then to at least one second optical switch network subsystem via at least one bridge top switch and the upper optical switch, and then to another first optical switch network subsystem via another upper optical switch in the at least one second optical switch network subsystem.

[0011] In an embodiment of the present invention, the at least one bridgetop switch has a plurality of optical transceivers. When the optical signal is transmitted between the clusters via the at least one bridgetop switch, the optical transceivers perform an optical-electric-optical signal conversion, thereby enabling the selection of the wavelength of the optical signal.

[0012] In embodiments of the present invention, the at least one second optical switch network subsystem is composed of a plurality of second optical switch network subsystems. Each of the second optical switch network subsystems is independent of the others and is not directly interconnected.

[0013] In embodiments of the present invention, the at least one bridgetop switch includes a plurality of bridgetop switches. The at least one bridge optical switch includes a plurality of bridge optical switches. Each of the second optical switch network subsystems is connected to the bridgetop switch, and the optical signals can be transmitted to different clusters via different second optical switch network subsystems.

[0014] In an embodiment of the present invention, the number of first optical switch network subsystems is defined as M, the number of lower optical switches and top switches in each first optical switch network subsystem is defined as N, the number of at least one bridge top switch and at least one bridge optical switch in each first optical switch network subsystem is defined as K, and the total number of optical switches in the first optical switch network subsystem is (N+K)×M, where M, N, and K are positive integers.

[0015] In an embodiment of the present invention, the number of at least one second optical switch network subsystems is K, and the number of higher-level optical switches is M × K.

[0016] In an embodiment of the present invention, each of the first optical switch network subsystems is connected to a plurality of server racks via the corresponding top switch.

[0017] In embodiments of the present invention, the lower optical switches and the at least one bridge optical switch in each first optical switch network subsystem are interconnected in a vertical and horizontal full mesh manner by a plurality of optical fibers, and the upper optical switches in the at least one second optical switch network subsystem are interconnected in a vertical and horizontal full mesh manner by a plurality of optical fibers.

[0018] In embodiments of the present invention, the upper optical switch, the lower optical switch, and the bridge optical switch have the same internal design, the top switch and the bridge top switch have the same internal design, and the network connection method between the lower optical switches in the first optical switch network subsystem is the same as the network connection method between the upper optical switches in the at least one second optical switch network subsystem.

[0019] Those skilled in the art will be able to understand other objects of the present invention, as well as the technical means and embodiments of the present invention, by referring to the drawings and the embodiments described later. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0020] [Figure 1] Schematic diagram of network connectivity in a 5x5 single-layer network topology constructed with multiple optical switches. [Figure 2] Schematic diagram of the full mesh connection between an optical switch and other optical switches adjacent to it vertically and horizontally in the connection configuration shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Schematic diagram of the optical switch network subsystem configured in the connection configuration shown in Figure 1, where each optical switch is connected to the top switch and server rack. [Figure 4] Schematic diagram of the topology of a cluster-based distributed virtual circuit type optical switch network system in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] Schematic diagram of two second optical switch network subsystems in a cluster-based distributed virtual circuit optical switch network system in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] Local schematic diagram of a cluster-based distributed virtual circuit type optical switch network system in an embodiment of the present invention [Figure 7] Schematic diagram of optical signal transmission between different first optical switch network subsystems within a cluster-based distributed virtual circuit optical switch network system in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] Schematic diagram of optical signal transmission routes between different first optical switch network subsystems in an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0021] Hereinafter, the content of the present invention will be described through examples. It should be noted that the examples of the present invention show examples of embodiments and are not intended to be limited to the environments, applications, or specific aspects as described in the examples. Therefore, the description of the examples is for explaining the present invention but does not limit the present invention. In the embodiments and the drawings, components not directly related to the present invention are omitted and not shown. The dimensional relationships of the components in the drawings are for facilitating understanding and do not limit the actual dimensions.

[0022] First, referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the concept of forming an concept of forming an optical switch network using a plurality of optical switches under a single-layer network topology will be described. A 5×5 connection configuration is taken as an example. Each optical switch 20 is fully meshed with other adjacent optical switches 20 in the vertical direction by ribbon optical fibers. Each optical switch 20 is similarly fully meshed with other adjacent optical switches 20 in the horizontal direction by another ribbon optical fiber. In this way, an optical switch network 10 with a single-layer network topology is formed. Based on the scale of the system and the transmission requirements, the number of optical switches 20 in the single-layer network topology can be adjusted, for example, a 4×4 or 3×3 connection configuration. As shown in FIG. 3, the optical switch network 10 has an all-optical signal transmission function. Each optical switch 20 is connected to a top switch 40 and a server rack 60. The top switch 40 converts the electrical signal transmitted by the server rack 60 into an optical signal via an optical transceiver and transmits it to the optical switch 20, or converts the optical signal transmitted by the optical switch 20 into an electrical signal and transmits it to the server rack 60.

[0023] An important feature of the present invention is to configure a distributed virtual line type optical switch network system 1000 by utilizing the above connection configuration and concept. As shown in FIG. 4, the cluster-based distributed virtual line type optical switch network system 1000 includes a lower-layer optical switch network module 100 and an upper-layer optical switch network module 200. Both the lower-layer optical switch network module 100 and the upper-layer optical switch network module 200 have a single-layer network topology. By combining the two, a two-layer topology virtual line type optical switch network system is formed to transmit optical signals. In the embodiments described below, the lower-layer optical switch network module 100 has a first-layer connection configuration and includes a plurality of first optical switch network subsystems 110. For example, the first layer has a total of 16 first optical switch network subsystems 110 (as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6). Each first optical switch network subsystem 110 has a 3×3 connection configuration and is defined as one cluster. The connection configurations of each cluster are the same as each other. The second layer is connected by two sets of independent second optical switch network subsystems 210, 210' (as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5). Each of the second optical switch network subsystems 210, 210' is composed of a total of 16 optical switches 220, 220' of 4×4. Each of the optical switches 220, 220' corresponds to each first optical switch network subsystem 110. In this way, the distributed virtual line type optical switch network system 1000 of the embodiment of the present invention is constructed. Note that the single-layer network topology of the optical switch network 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is applicable to both the first optical switch network subsystem 110 and the second optical switch network subsystem 210. The design and specifications of the optical switches used by both are the same. The connection method between the optical switches is also the same.

[0024] In this embodiment, each first optical switch network subsystem 110 has a 3x3 connection configuration. Needless to say, each first optical switch network subsystem 110 can also use the 5x5 connection configuration (as shown in Figure 1) described in the previous embodiment. In order to clearly illustrate and explain the connection configuration of the system of the present invention in the drawings, each first optical switch network subsystem 110 in this embodiment will be described with a 3x3 connection configuration, but it is not limited to this. Figure 4 also illustrates that the higher-level optical switch network module 200 includes two sets of second optical switch network subsystems 210, 210' which are independent of each other and not directly interconnected. Again, this embodiment does not limit the number of second optical switch network subsystems, and in fact, the present invention can be implemented with only one set of second optical switch network subsystems.

[0025] As shown in Figure 6, in embodiments of the present invention, each first optical switch network subsystem 110 includes a plurality of lower optical switches 120, at least one bridge optical switch 130, a plurality of top switches 140, and at least one bridge top switch 150. The lower optical switches 120 and bridge optical switches 130 are identical in specifications because the wavelengths of the transmitted and received optical signals must be matched. If the first optical switch network subsystem 110 needs to increase its bandwidth to the outside, the lower optical switches 120 are used as bridge optical switches 130 and the top switches 140 are used as bridge top switches 150. In this embodiment, the first optical switch network subsystem 110 employs a 3x3 topology, in which two lower optical switches 120 are replaced with bridge optical switches 130 and two top switches 140 are replaced with bridge top switches 150. The above quantities and locations are adjustable based on actual transmission demands.

[0026] Figure 5 shows that in an embodiment of the present invention, the second optical switch network subsystem 210 consists of a plurality of upper-level optical switches 220 connected in a full mesh in the vertical and horizontal directions. The upper-level optical switches 220 employ a 4x4 optical switch connection configuration. Each upper-level optical switch 220 is connected to the first optical switch network subsystem 110 to realize optical signal transmission between clusters. In detail, data transmission across different first optical switch network subsystems 110 must pass through at least one second optical switch network subsystem 210 within the upper-level optical switch network module 200. Optical signals are transmitted from one first optical switch network subsystem 110 to another first optical switch network subsystem 110 via an upper-level optical switch 220. When optical signals are transmitted between different clusters, the optical signals are transmitted from one first optical switch network subsystem 110 and forwarded to another first optical switch network subsystem 110 via an upper-level optical switch 220 within at least one second optical switch network subsystem 210, realizing highly efficient data transmission between clusters. As shown in Figure 4, this embodiment uses two second optical switch network subsystems 210 and 210' as an example, but the number can be selected based on the bandwidth required for actual optical signal transmission. In other embodiments, two first optical switch network subsystems 110 and one second optical switch network subsystem 210 can cooperate to constitute the smallest unit of cluster-based distributed virtual circuit type optical switch network system 1000 (not shown). The number of second optical switch network subsystems can also be set to one based on actual demand. The number of second optical switch network subsystems 210 and 210' in the upper optical switch network module 200 directly affects the required number of upper optical switches 220 and 220'. The number of second optical switch network subsystems 210 and 210' depends on the required amount of inter-cluster transmission data in the server rack 160. If the amount of inter-cluster transmission data is small, a smaller number of second optical switch network subsystems 210 can be selected.When the amount of data transmitted between clusters is large, more second optical switch network subsystems 210 are required to meet the bandwidth demands. Specifically, at least one second optical switch network subsystem 210 is needed to enable optical signal transmission between different clusters. In this embodiment, two are used as examples. The more second optical switch network subsystems 210 there are, the higher the network bandwidth and fault tolerance in the overall system connectivity configuration, and the more optical path options are provided to optimize transmission efficiency.

[0027] Specifically, Figures 4 and 6 show the internal arrangement and connectivity of each first optical switch network subsystem 110 in this embodiment. The lower optical switches 120 are connected to the top switches 140. In this embodiment, each first optical switch network subsystem 110 is connected to a plurality of server racks 160 via the corresponding top switches 140. At least one bridge optical switch 130 is connected to at least one bridge top switch 150. The lower optical switches 120 and at least one bridge optical switch 130 within the same cluster are interconnected in a vertical and horizontal full mesh configuration. This connection configuration forms a cluster, which is defined as the first optical switch network subsystem 110. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 4, each upper optical switch 220 is interconnected in a vertical and horizontal full mesh configuration and connected to a bridge top switch 150. Each upper optical switch 220' is similarly interconnected in a vertical and horizontal full mesh configuration and connected to another bridge top switch 150. The lower optical switch network module 100 and the upper optical switch network module 200 are interconnected via a bridge top switch 150. This configuration enables optical signals to be transmitted within the cluster-based distributed virtual circuit type optical switch network system 1000.

[0028] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, in this embodiment, each first optical switch network subsystem 110 has two bridge optical switches 130 and seven lower optical switches 120, which work together to construct a 3x3 vertical and horizontal full mesh topology. The upper optical switch network module 200 in this embodiment includes two sets of independent second optical switch network subsystems 210 and 210'. Each second optical switch network subsystem 210 and 210' is configured such that the upper optical switches 220 and 220' are connected to the bridge optical switch 130 via the bridge top switch 150. The bridge optical switch 130 is connected to the lower optical switches 120 of the same cluster. Overall, the multiple first optical switch network subsystems 110 and the two second optical switch network subsystems 210 and 210' form an optical signal transmission connection configuration. The top switch 140, which was conventionally used to connect the server rack 160 and the lower optical switches 120, has been replaced by the bridge top switch 150. The bridge top switch 150 is connected to the upstream optical switches 220, 220' and the bridge optical switch 130. In this embodiment, the bridge top switch 150 shown in Figure 4 is not directly connected to the server rack 160. The bridge top switch 150 can be connected to the server rack 160 via some of its optical fiber ports, while the remaining optical fiber ports are connected to the bridge optical switch 130. Whether or not the bridge top switch 150 is connected to the server rack 160 is determined by the actual optical signal transmission requirements and is not limited thereto.

[0029] Furthermore, the number of second optical switch network subsystems 210, 210' determines the number of bridge optical switches 130 within each first optical switch network subsystem 110. If there are two second optical switch network subsystems 210, 210', then there are two bridge optical switches 130 within each first optical switch network subsystem 110. In addition, each second optical switch network subsystem 210, 210' is connected to a bridge top switch 150 within each first optical switch network subsystem 110. Optical signals can be transmitted to different clusters via different second optical switch network subsystems 210, 210'. This configuration allows for diverse path selection for optical signal transmission between multiple first optical switch network subsystems 110, improving bandwidth utilization and routing flexibility in the network connectivity configuration.

[0030] In this embodiment, the lower optical switches 120 and at least one bridge optical switch 130 within each first optical switch network subsystem 110 are interconnected in a vertical and horizontal full-mesh configuration by multiple optical fibers 300. The upper optical switches 220 and 220' within each second optical switch network subsystem 210 and 210' are interconnected in a vertical and horizontal full-mesh configuration via multiple optical fibers 300. Optical switches are connected by optical fibers to realize optical signal transmission within the first optical switch network subsystem 110 and the second optical switch network subsystem 210. The network connection method between the lower optical switches 120 within the first optical switch network subsystem 110 may differ from the network connection method between the upper optical switches 220 within the second optical switch network subsystem 210. The network connection method can be configured based on actual network requirements.

[0031] In this embodiment, optical path control is dynamically selected and managed by the control function of a software-defined network (SDN) to optimize optical signal transmission efficiency. SDN control is responsible for managing optical signal transmission between the lower optical switch 120, bridge optical switch 130, top switch 140, bridge top switch 150, and upper optical switch 220. Real-time network status monitoring and resource adjustment enable dynamic optical path selection and bandwidth adjustment, improving the transmission performance and resource utilization of the optical network.

[0032] Next, the quantitative relationships of the components within the cluster-based distributed virtual circuit optical switch network system 1000 will be explained. Let M be the number of first optical switch network subsystems 110. Each first optical switch network subsystem 110 contains N lower optical switches 120 and N top switches 140. Also, each first optical switch network subsystem 110 has at least K bridge optical switches 130 and K bridge top switches 150. Here, M, N, and K are all positive integers. Furthermore, there are K second optical switch network subsystems 210, and the total number of upper optical switches 220 in the system is M × K. For example, in the cluster-based distributed virtual circuit optical switch network system 1000 of the present invention (as shown in Figure 4), each first optical switch network subsystem 110 consists of 7 lower optical switches 120 and 2 bridge optical switches 130 (i.e., N=7, K=2). Each first optical switch network subsystem 110 has a 3 × 3 connection configuration and consists of a total of 9 optical switches. In the same embodiment, the lower optical switch network module 100 of the cluster-based distributed virtual circuit optical switch network system 1000 includes a first optical switch network subsystem 110 with four horizontal and four vertical arrays (i.e., M=16). In this embodiment, a first optical switch network subsystem 110 consisting of 16 clusters is shown as an example. In actual applications, the number of clusters can be adjusted based on different network topology designs and bandwidth requirements. It is possible to adopt a symmetrical arrangement (e.g., 3×3, 4×4, or 5×5) or an asymmetrical arrangement (e.g., 2×1, 3×2, or 5×4) with the same number of horizontal and vertical clusters, to accommodate different network connectivity configuration requirements. The number and arrangement of the first optical switch network subsystem 110 can be adjusted based on actual bandwidth requirements, traffic distribution, and connectivity configuration expansion requirements, and are not limited here. Also, there are 7 top switches 140 connected to the lower optical switches 120. There are 2 bridge top switches 150 connected to the upper optical switches 220 and bridge optical switches 130.Furthermore, the upper-level optical switch network module 200 is composed of two second optical switch network subsystems 210, the number of which corresponds to the number of bridge optical switches 130 located within each first optical switch network subsystem 110. Since each first optical switch network subsystem 110 contains the same number of bridge optical switches 130, the total number of upper-level optical switches 220 and 220' is M × K = 16 × 2 = 32. This connection configuration ensures the stability of network operation and improves the transmission efficiency of optical signals. In this embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figure 4, the total number of optical switches used within the cluster-based distributed virtual circuit type optical switch network system 1000 is the sum of M × (N + K) optical switches in the first optical switch network subsystem 110 and M × K optical switches in the second optical switch network subsystem 210. Taking this embodiment as an example, the total number of optical switches located within the cluster-based distributed virtual circuit type optical switch network system 1000 is 176, and construction costs can be reduced by using the same specifications for these optical switches.

[0033] As described above, the present invention can employ the first optical switch network subsystem 110 shown in Figures 1 to 3. Each first optical switch network subsystem 110 has a topology of 5x5 optical switches, totaling 25 optical switches. In practice, the number of optical switches in each first optical switch network subsystem 110 is set based on different transmission requirements. For example, it can accommodate optical switch configurations of at least 2x2, 3x3, 4x4, 5x5, and even 6x6, 7x7, or larger numbers. The specific number is optimized based on bandwidth requirements, topology design, and optical switch scale in the actual application, but is not limited to these.

[0034] In this embodiment of the present invention, the upper optical switch 220, the lower optical switch 120, and the bridge optical switch 130 have the same internal design and specifications. In actual applications, it is assumed that all optical switches are designed to fit into a 5x5 topology first optical switch network subsystem 110. Each optical switch is connected to four other optical switches vertically and horizontally, respectively (as shown in Figures 1 and 2). The arrangement of Wavelength Selective Switches (WSS) within each optical switch corresponds to a 5x5 structure. In this embodiment, if each optical switch is designed to the above specifications, the first optical switch network subsystem 110 has a 5x5 topology. The maximum number of optical switches used in each first optical switch network subsystem 110 is 25 in total (5x5), but smaller arrangements such as 4x4 and 3x3 are also applicable. Similarly, the optical switches of the second optical switch network subsystem 210 fit into a 5x5 topology and are also applicable to network connection configurations of different sizes such as 4x4 and 3x3. Because the internal specifications of the optical switches are standardized, they offer greater adaptability and can be flexibly deployed based on actual application needs. Furthermore, this improves the overall operational performance and scalability of the system, resulting in lower construction costs.

[0035] However, in other embodiments of the present invention, the upper optical switch 220, lower optical switch 120, and bridge optical switch 130 may employ different internal designs, but it is necessary to ensure that the wavelengths for transmitting and receiving optical signals match each other. The top switch 140 and bridge top switch 150 may also employ different internal designs. The internal designs of the optical switches and top switches are optimally configured based on the actual data transmission needs and meet the requirements of different topologies and traffic management, but are not limited to these. Adopting optical switches and top switches with the same specifications contributes to reducing construction costs and is a better solution.

[0036] Next, the optical signal transmission process will be described in detail. When an optical signal is transmitted within the same cluster, it is transmitted via lower optical switches 120 within the same first optical switch network subsystem 110. When an optical signal is transmitted between different clusters, as shown in Figures 6 to 8, the optical signal is transmitted from one top switch 140 within the first optical switch network subsystem 110 to a lower optical switch 120. Subsequently, it is transmitted to at least one bridge optical switch 130 and then to at least one second optical switch network subsystem 210 via at least one bridge upper optical switch 150 and an upper optical switch 220. Finally, it is transmitted to another first optical switch network subsystem 110 via another upper optical switch 220 in the second optical switch network subsystem 210.

[0037] The explanation will be given with reference to Figures 7 and 8. When sending data from source server rack 160 to destination server rack 160, the transmission route is as shown by arrow W1 in Figure 7. The procedure is as follows.

[0038] Step 1: As shown in the left diagram of Figure 8, the source server rack 160 converts data into an optical signal via the top switch 140 in the first optical switch network subsystem 110 and transmits it to the lower optical switch 120 in the first optical switch network subsystem 110. The optical signal is then transmitted to the bridge optical switch 130 in the first optical switch network subsystem 110 and transmitted to the upper optical switch 220 in the second optical switch network subsystem 210 via the bridge top switch 150. The bridge optical switch 130 in the first optical switch network subsystem 110 can receive optical signals transmitted from any server rack 160 within the same first optical switch network subsystem 110. Optical signal transfer between different first optical switch network subsystems 110 is achieved through the bridge optical switch 130 and the second optical switch network subsystem 210.

[0039] Step 2: As shown in Figure 7, the upper optical switch 220 transmits the optical signal to the upper optical switch 220 of another first optical switch network subsystem 110 within the second optical switch network subsystem 210 via the second optical switch network subsystem 210.

[0040] Step 3: As shown in the right diagram of Figure 8, the upper optical switch 220 of another first optical switch network subsystem 110 transmits the optical signal to the bridge optical switch 130 within the first optical switch network subsystem 110 via the bridge top switch 150. The bridge optical switch 130 transmits the optical signal within the first optical switch network subsystem 110 to the lower optical switch 120 corresponding to the destination server rack 160. The optical signal is transmitted to the destination server rack 160 via the top switch 140 of the first optical switch network subsystem 110, completing the data transmission.

[0041] Next, the optical signal transmission between the first optical switch network subsystem 110 and the second optical switch network subsystem 210 will be described in detail. As shown in Figure 6, each bridgetop switch 150 includes a plurality of optical transceivers 151. The optical transceivers 151 are connected to the bridge optical switch 130 and the higher-level optical switch 220. The bridgetop switch 150 is an electrical switch. When an optical signal is transmitted between clusters via the bridgetop switch 150, the optical transceivers 151 perform photoelectric-to-optical signal conversion, making it possible to reselect the wavelength of the optical signal. Specifically, when an optical signal is transmitted from the bridge optical switch 130 to the bridgetop switch 150, the optical transceiver 151 in the bridgetop switch 150 converts the optical signal into an electrical signal. Subsequently, when the electrical signal is transmitted to the higher-level optical switch 220, the optical transceiver 151 converts the electrical signal back into an optical signal. This photoelectric conversion process makes it possible to reselect the wavelength of the optical signal. For example, when an optical signal is transmitted from a bridge optical switch 130 to a bridge top switch 150 in a first optical switch network subsystem 110, the wavelength of the optical signal is λ1. After photoelectric conversion, when the optical signal enters the higher-level optical switch 220, it can be converted to wavelength λ2 and transmitted to another first optical switch network subsystem 110 at this different wavelength. This design allows for dynamic adjustment of wavelength during the optical signal transmission process between clusters, improving the spectral utilization efficiency of the network, increasing the number of available optical path choices, and optimizing overall resource allocation.

[0042] As described above, the present invention proposes a cluster-based distributed virtual circuit type optical switch network system including a plurality of first optical switch network subsystems. Each first optical switch network subsystem is defined as a cluster. Each cluster includes a plurality of optical switches. These optical switches constitute an optical switch network system by full mesh connections in the horizontal and vertical directions. The optical switches include lower optical switches and bridge optical switches. Each cluster includes a top switch connected to a server rack and a bridge top switch connected to a second optical switch network subsystem. Unlike the prior art, the present invention adds at least one second optical switch network subsystem. The second optical switch network subsystem consists of a plurality of upper optical switches. Each upper optical switch in each second optical switch network subsystem is connected to a different first optical switch network subsystem. Optical signals are transmitted from lower optical switches in the first optical switch network subsystem to bridge optical switches. Optical signals are transmitted to upper optical switches in the second optical switch network subsystem via bridge top switches. Optical signals are transmitted to other upper optical switches by optical signal transmission and finally to another first optical switch network subsystem.

[0043] This novel topology of the two-layer optical switch network subsystem enables highly efficient transmission of server rack data between different clusters. Furthermore, the second optical switch network subsystem, responsible for optical signal transmission between different clusters, allows for the determination of the number of upper-level optical switches and the second optical switch network subsystem based on traffic demand. The independent second optical switch network subsystem provides multiple optical path options, improving system flexibility and reliability. Each optical switch adopts a unified, identical specification, reducing construction costs. The bridge-top switch performs photoelectric signal conversion, re-selecting the wavelength of the optical signal and improving network applicability and scalability. This stacked structure of the optical switch network subsystem supports data transmission between clusters, providing highly efficient and reliable optical network services. This system is particularly applicable to application areas requiring large-scale data transmission, low latency, and high bandwidth, such as AI data centers and cloud computing infrastructure.

[0044] The above-described embodiments illustrate embodiments of the present invention and describe the characteristic configuration of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Modifications or equivalent arrangements that can be easily made by those skilled in the art are also within the scope of the present invention. The scope of protection of the rights of the present invention shall be based on the claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0045] 10 Optical Switch Network 20 Optical switches 40 Top Switch 60 Server Racks 1000 cluster-based distributed virtual circuit optical switch network system 100 Lower-end optical switch network module 110 First Optical Switch Network Subsystem 120 Lower optical switch 130 Bridge Optical Switch 140 Top Switch 150 Bridge Top Switch 151 Optical Transceiver 160 Server Racks 200 Higher-end optical switch network modules 210 Second Optical Switch Network Subsystem 210' Second Optical Switch Network Subsystem 220 Upper Optical Switch 220' Upper Optical Switch 300 optical fibers W1 Arrow

Claims

1. A cluster-based distributed virtual circuit type optical switch network system for transmitting multiple optical signals, comprising a lower optical switch network module and a higher optical switch network module, The lower-level optical switch network module includes a plurality of first optical switch network subsystems, and each of the first optical switch network subsystems is defined as a cluster. The above-level optical switch network module includes at least one second optical switch network subsystem, the at least one second optical switch network subsystem includes a plurality of interconnected higher-level optical switches, each of which is connected to the first optical switch network subsystem. A cluster-based distributed virtual circuit optical switch network system in which, when the optical signal is transmitted between clusters, the optical signal is transmitted from one of the first optical switch network subsystems to another of the first optical switch network subsystems via the higher-level optical switch of at least one of the second optical switch network subsystems.

2. Each of the first optical switch network subsystems includes a plurality of lower optical switches, at least one bridge optical switch, a plurality of top switches, and at least one bridge top switch. The cluster-based distributed virtual circuit type optical switch network system according to claim 1, characterized in that in each of the first optical switch network subsystems, the lower optical switches are connected to the top switch, the at least one bridge optical switch is connected to the at least one bridge top switch, and the lower optical switches and the at least one bridge optical switch are interconnected, thereby forming the cluster.

3. The cluster-based distributed virtual circuit optical switch network system according to claim 2, characterized in that each of the above-level optical switches is connected to the at least one bridge-top switch, and the lower-level optical switch network module and the above-level optical switch network module are interconnected through the at least one bridge-top switch.

4. When the optical signal is transmitted within the same cluster, the optical signal is transmitted through the lower optical switch within the same first optical switch network subsystem. The cluster-based distributed virtual circuit optical switch network system according to claim 3, characterized in that, when the optical signal is transmitted between different clusters, the optical signal is transmitted from one of the top switches in the first optical switch network subsystem to the lower optical switch, further transmitted to the at least one bridge optical switch, transmitted to the at least one second optical switch network subsystem via the at least one bridge top switch and the upper optical switch, and further transmitted to another first optical switch network subsystem via another upper optical switch in the at least one second optical switch network subsystem.

5. The aforementioned at least one bridgetop switch has a plurality of optical transceivers, The cluster-based distributed virtual circuit type optical switch network system according to claim 4, characterized in that when the optical signal is transmitted between the clusters via the at least one bridgetop switch, the optical transceiver performs an optical-to-electronic-to-optical signal conversion, thereby enabling the selection of the wavelength of the optical signal.

6. The aforementioned at least one second optical switch network subsystem is composed of a plurality of second optical switch network subsystems. The cluster-based distributed virtual circuit type optical switch network system according to claim 3, characterized in that each of the second optical switch network subsystems is independent of and not directly interconnected with one another.

7. The aforementioned at least one bridgetop switch includes a plurality of bridgetop switches, The aforementioned at least one bridge optical switch includes a plurality of bridge optical switches, The cluster-based distributed virtual circuit type optical switch network system according to claim 6, characterized in that each of the second optical switch network subsystems is connected to the bridge top switch, and the optical signal can be transmitted to different clusters via different second optical switch network subsystems.

8. The cluster-based distributed virtual circuit type optical switch network system according to claim 3, characterized in that the number of first optical switch network subsystems is defined as M, the number of lower optical switches and top switches in each first optical switch network subsystem is defined as N, the number of at least one bridge top switch and at least one bridge optical switch in each first optical switch network subsystem is defined as K, and the total number of optical switches in the first optical switch network subsystem is (N + K) × M, where M, N, and K are positive integers.

9. The cluster-based distributed virtual circuit type optical switch network system according to claim 8, characterized in that the number of at least one second optical switch network subsystems is K, and the number of higher-level optical switches is M × K.

10. The cluster-based distributed virtual circuit type optical switch network system according to claim 3, characterized in that each of the first optical switch network subsystems is connected to a plurality of server racks via the corresponding top switch.

11. The cluster-based distributed virtual circuit optical switch network system according to claim 2, characterized in that the lower optical switches and the at least one bridge optical switch in each of the first optical switch network subsystems are interconnected in a vertical and horizontal full mesh manner by a plurality of optical fibers, and the upper optical switches in the at least one second optical switch network subsystem are interconnected in a vertical and horizontal full mesh manner by a plurality of optical fibers.

12. The cluster-based distributed virtual circuit optical switch network system according to claim 2, characterized in that the upper optical switch, the lower optical switch, and the bridge optical switch have the same internal design, the top switch and the bridge top switch have the same internal design, and the network connection method between the lower optical switches in the first optical switch network subsystem is the same as the network connection method between the upper optical switches in the at least one second optical switch network subsystem.

Images