Optical Virtual-Circuit Switching for Low-Latency Rack Networks
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electronic switching networks in HPC systems face challenges with high-power consumption, excessive latency, and elevated costs due to frequent optical-to-electrical-to-optical signal conversions, leading to bottlenecks in bandwidth scalability and degraded performance.
Innovation Solution
An optical virtual-circuit-switching network system with integrated amplifiers, splitters, couplers, and wavelength-selective switches enables seamless optical signal transmission between server racks, allowing precise selection of transmission ports and wavelengths, reducing the need for optical-electrical conversions and enhancing bandwidth and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by stationary object
If optical-to-electrical-to-optical signal conversions are performed in conventional electronic switching networks, then signal routing and switching can be achieved, but power consumption increases and latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electronic switching mechanisms with optical switching mechanisms. Optical switches directly route optical signals without converting to electrical domain, eliminating the need for optical-to-electrical-to-optical conversions. This substitution of the switching mechanism fundamentally resolves the power consumption and latency issues inherent in electronic switching networks while maintaining signal routing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces optical circuit switches as intermediary devices between optical transceivers and optical fibers. These optical circuit switches establish dedicated optical paths and enable direct optical signal transmission without electrical conversion. The optical circuit switch acts as an intermediary that maintains signals in the optical domain throughout the switching process, thereby eliminating power consumption and latency associated with electronic conversions.
2Productivity
If optical signals are transmitted without wavelength or route selection in prior technologies, then transmission simplicity is maintained, but bandwidth efficiency decreases and routing flexibility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the optical signal transmission by wavelength, creating separate virtual circuits for different wavelengths. Each wavelength can be independently routed and controlled, allowing multiple data flows to share the same physical infrastructure simultaneously. This wavelength segmentation enables efficient bandwidth utilization while maintaining simple optical switching operations, as each wavelength channel operates independently without requiring complex cross-wavelength processing.
Data Source
AI summary
The optical virtual-circuit-switching network system includes a plurality of optical switches, each including an optical upload module, an optical download module, an optical pass-around module, and an optical fiber connection module. The optical upload module receives uploaded optical signals from the top-of-rack switch, selects the appropriate route and wavelength, and then transmits them to the optical fiber connection module. These signals are then transmit through the optical fiber connection module to the vertically connected optical switch or horizontally connected optical switch. The optical download module receives the optical signals from the vertically connected optical switch and the horizontally connected optical switch, selects and combines these optical signals so as to download them to the top-of-rack switch. The optical pass-around module, along with the optical fiber connection module, is used to redirect the optical signals from horizontal to vertical or from vertical to horizontal.