Network Topology with Segmented Switch Sets for High Port Utilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dragonfly network topologies in high-speed computer networks have inferior port utilization compared to newer topologies like Xpander, which affects cost-effectiveness, communication latency, and reliability.
Innovation Solution
The network is partitioned into multiple mutually-disjoint sets of switches, with fully-connected local links within each subset and sparse, optimized global links between subsets, allowing for high port utilization while maintaining low latency and reliability through a routing manager that defines paths with a predefined maximal number of hops and virtual channels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If Dragonfly network topology is used, then routing ease and low latency are achieved, but port utilization is inferior
Solution Approach 1:
The network is divided into multiple sets of switches, with each set containing multiple subsets. Local links connect switches within subsets in a fully-connected topology, while global links connect subsets across different sets. This segmentation allows the network to achieve high port utilization through the global link structure while maintaining easy routing through the modular subset design.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from traditional two-dimensional network topologies to a multi-dimensional hierarchical structure with local and global link layers. The local links provide intra-subset connectivity while global links provide inter-subset connectivity, creating a three-dimensional communication architecture that improves port utilization without sacrificing routing performance.
2Reliability
If Xpander topology is used, then port utilization is improved, but network complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The network is divided into multiple sets of switches, with each set containing multiple subsets. Local links connect switches within subsets in a fully-connected topology, while global links connect subsets across different sets. This segmentation allows the network to achieve high port utilization through the global link structure while maintaining easy routing through the modular subset design.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the network have different connectivity characteristics. Within each subset, switches are fully connected via local links for high-speed local communication. Between subsets, connections are established via global links. This local quality differentiation optimizes port utilization while keeping individual switch designs relatively simple.
3Reliability
If more global links are added to improve port utilization, then communication latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The network is divided into multiple sets of switches, with each set containing multiple subsets. Local links connect switches within subsets in a fully-connected topology, while global links connect subsets across different sets. This segmentation allows the network to achieve high port utilization through the global link structure while maintaining easy routing through the modular subset design.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of connecting all subsets to all other subsets (excessive action), the invention uses a partial connection strategy where each subset is connected to at least one subset in every other set through global links. This partial action is sufficient to achieve high port utilization while minimizing the total number of global links and associated latency.
Data Source
AI summary
A data communication system includes a plurality of mutually-disjoint sets of switches, each set including multiple mutually-disjoint subsets of the switches in the set. Local links interconnect the switches within each of the subsets in a fully-connected topology, while none of the switches in any given subset are connected in a single hop to any of the switches in any other subset within the same set. Global links interconnect the sets of the switches, each global link connecting one switch in one of the sets to another switch in another one of the sets, such that each of the subsets in any given set of the switches is connected in a single hop by at least one global link to at least one of the subsets of every other set of the switches.