Multiple Forwarding Elements Using Parallel Lanes for Fabric Ports
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network forwarding elements, such as ASICs, provide insufficient ports for high-bandwidth applications like AI/ML, and increasing ports through multiple switching elements in a fabric topology adds cost, complexity, and reduces reliability.
Innovation Solution
Configure high-speed Ethernet interfaces as multiple parallel lanes operating at lower speeds, using fewer switches and parallel channels to handle parallelizable data, such as AI/ML traffic, without complicating host cabling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If multiple switching elements are interconnected in a fabric topology to increase the number of ports, then the number of available ports increases, but the system complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments a single high-speed Ethernet interface into multiple parallel lower-speed lanes. Each lane is handled by a separate forwarding element, allowing the system to provide more ports without increasing overall system complexity. The segmentation occurs at the interface level rather than requiring multiple physical switching elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple forwarding elements into a unified system that shares a common control plane and management interface. This merging approach allows multiple parallel data paths to be managed as a single logical entity, reducing the operational complexity that would otherwise result from having multiple independent switches.
2Quantity of substance
If multiple switching elements are used to increase port capacity, then more ports become available, but reliability decreases due to more potential failure points
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting a single high-speed interface into multiple parallel lanes handled by separate forwarding elements, the system achieves port capacity expansion while maintaining a single point of control. This segmentation distributes traffic across multiple paths without distributing system control, thereby maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The control plane acts as an intermediary that manages multiple forwarding elements through a unified interface. This intermediary layer abstracts the complexity of multiple data paths from the user, providing a single point of management and configuration that maintains reliability while enabling expanded port capacity.
3Quantity of substance
If multiple switches are deployed to provide sufficient ports, then port availability increases, but cabling complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments a single physical interface into multiple logical lanes, each handled by a separate forwarding element. This segmentation provides multiple port capabilities while maintaining a single physical connection point, thereby eliminating the need for complex multi-switch cabling arrangements.
Data Source
AI summary
Currently, network forwarding elements, such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), provide several high-speed ports. However, in some cases, the number of ports they provide is not enough. A common solution to increase the number of available switched ports involves interconnecting multiple switching elements in a fabric topology. Such approaches add cost and complexity while reducing reliability. Accordingly, embodiments herein improve data handling for high data applications without significantly increasing network costs, complexity, or network cabling. Embodiments use fewer switches by configuring high-speed cables as a set (or sets) of parallel lanes operating at lower speeds. The parallel lanes may be connected to a network information handling system (e.g., an Ethernet switch) that comprises multiple network processor units arranged in a parallel configuration, which facilitates parallel data handling.