Optical Cross-Connect NCF Assembly for Scalable Distributed Networking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing networking technologies face limitations in scaling without increasing costs and power consumption, particularly in chassis-based devices, and multi-stage networking solutions result in inefficient use of resources.
Innovation Solution
A distributed networking system comprising a network cloud fabric (NCF) device assembly with multiple chips and optical cross-connect devices, allowing for increased port connectivity and reduced power consumption through a modular design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If chassis-based devices are used for networking, then device capacity is limited by cabinet space, power supply, and heat dissipation, but modular box-based devices can overcome these limitations to achieve larger cluster capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the traditional chassis-based device into multiple independent box-based devices (NCF devices and NCP devices). Each box-based device is a self-contained unit with specific functions, allowing the system to scale by adding more boxes rather than being constrained by a single chassis's physical limits. This segmentation enables the cluster capacity to exceed what a single chassis can provide.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-stage chassis-based architecture to a multi-stage distributed architecture. By introducing multiple networking stages with NCF devices for fabric connectivity and NCP devices for service processing, the system expands the networking dimension, allowing clusters to achieve larger scales beyond single-chassis limitations while maintaining manageable complexity through standardized interfaces.
2Productivity
If the number of NCF ports is increased to expand networking scale, then maximum scale M×N is achieved, but costs and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The NCF device is designed with multi-functionality to maximize the utilization of each port. By implementing optical cross-connect capabilities and supporting multiple networking stages, the same NCF ports can serve different networking functions and connect to various NCP devices, achieving maximum networking scale M×N without requiring additional dedicated ports for each function, thus controlling power consumption while expanding scale.
3Productivity
If multi-stage networking is implemented to expand scale, then networking capacity increases, but resource utilization becomes inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces NCF devices as intermediary components that provide optical cross-connect functionality between NCP devices. These NCF intermediaries enable multi-stage networking by fabricating connections across multiple stages without requiring direct point-to-point links between all NCP devices. This intermediary approach increases networking capacity while improving resource efficiency by allowing shared fabric resources to be utilized across multiple networking stages rather than requiring dedicated resources for each connection.
Data Source
AI summary
The NCF device assembly includes: a first NCF device, including a first chip and first NCF ports, where the first chip is electrically communicatively connected to at least one of the first NCF ports; a second NCF device, including a second chip and second NCF ports, where the second chip is electrically communicatively connected to at least one of the second NCF ports; and a reconstruction component optical cross-connect device, including receiving ports and reconstruction ports, where the receiving ports are communicatively connected to the first chip and the second chip respectively through at least one of the first NCF ports and at least one of the second NCF ports. Each of the reconstruction ports is optically communicatively connected to at least two receiving ports in the reconstruction component optical cross-connect device, so that each reconstruction port is communicatively connected to the first chip and the second chip.