Physical Layer Interface Redundant Data Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hyperscale data centers face challenges in managing increasing failure rates of hardware and software components, making it inefficient to provide redundancy for every component, and existing solutions are costly or inefficient, particularly in configuring redundant components without duplicating entire hardware.
Innovation Solution
A physical layer interface device with multiple data paths, including primary, secondary, and non-redundant paths, and a multiplexer that switches between these paths upon fault detection, allowing for efficient redundancy configuration within existing network switches, maintaining data flow without interruption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If redundancy is provided for every hardware component, then reliability is improved, but cost and device complexity increase inordinately
Solution Approach 1:
The data center infrastructure is segmented into modular units with selective redundancy. Instead of duplicating entire systems, the patent divides the network into multiple data paths (primary and secondary) that can be independently configured and managed, allowing redundancy to be applied only where most beneficial.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates universal data path interfaces that can serve multiple functions. The same data path infrastructure supports both primary and secondary operations, allowing a single physical infrastructure to provide redundancy without requiring complete duplication of hardware components.
2Reliability
If inactive backup components are provided for every active component, then reliability is improved, but cost and efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic path selection where data flows through primary data paths during normal operation and automatically switches to secondary data paths when faults are detected. This dynamic approach eliminates the need for static inactive backup components, as the secondary paths remain dormant until needed but can be activated immediately upon fault detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system includes automatic fault detection and path switching capabilities that operate without manual intervention. The multiplexer automatically detects faults in primary data paths and switches to secondary paths, providing self-service redundancy management that eliminates the need for human operators to manually activate backup components.
3Reliability
If complete hardware duplication is implemented for redundancy, then reliability is improved, but cost and scalability worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges primary and secondary data paths into a unified infrastructure. Instead of maintaining completely separate redundant hardware systems, the patent combines both paths within the same physical network infrastructure, allowing shared resources while maintaining fault tolerance. This merging approach reduces costs and improves scalability by eliminating duplicate hardware investments.
4Loss of energy
If redundancy is configured without duplicating entire components, then cost and efficiency are improved, but reliability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent configures secondary data paths in advance during system setup, but keeps them dormant until needed. This preliminary configuration ensures that redundant paths are ready for immediate activation without requiring full hardware duplication, achieving cost efficiency while maintaining reliability through pre-established backup routes.
Data Source
AI summary
An illustrative embodiment of a disclosed physical layer interface device includes: a first transmitter and a first receiver for a primary data path; a second transmitter and a second receiver for a secondary data path; a third transmitter and a third receiver for a non-redundant data path; and a multiplexer. The third receiver is coupled to provide a data stream received from the non-redundant data path concurrently to the first and second transmitters, and the multiplexer provides the third transmitter with a selected one of the data stream received via the primary data path and the data stream received via the secondary data path. Disclosed network switch embodiments employ the illustrative physical layer interface to provide internal or external data path redundancy for traffic handled by the network switch.