Spoke Transceiver Tuning for Optical Spectrum Replication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current IP fabrics based on Clos switching topologies face challenges with increased complexity and cost as the number of spine dedicated devices grows, leading to higher latency and operational complexity in delivering host connectivity for cloud gaming and other online services.
Innovation Solution
An optical data center IP switching fabric using passive optical power splitters to replicate wavelengths, reducing the need for traditional switches and thereby lowering latency and operational costs, while maintaining an express path between the data center edge and leaf nodes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional Clos switching topologies are used to provide host connectivity, then network scalability is achieved, but device complexity and operational costs increase due to the need for numerous spine dedicated devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional electronic switching devices with optical switching technology. Specifically, it uses optical cross-connects and wavelength division multiplexing to establish direct optical paths between edge devices and leaf nodes, eliminating the need for multiple stages of electronic switches and reducing device complexity while maintaining scalability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates multiple copies of wavelength signals through optical amplification and wavelength multiplication. A single optical signal can be replicated and distributed to multiple destinations simultaneously, allowing one edge device to communicate with multiple leaf nodes without requiring proportional increases in switching devices
2Productivity
If more spine dedicated devices are added to increase host connectivity, then network capacity is improved, but latency increases due to additional switching stages
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes continuous optical paths from edge devices directly to leaf nodes without intermediate electronic switching stages. By maintaining the signal in the optical domain throughout the entire path and eliminating O/E/O conversions, the system achieves lower latency while preserving network capacity through wavelength division multiplexing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds the wavelength dimension to the traditional spatial switching architecture. Instead of relying solely on additional switching stages to increase capacity, it multiplexes multiple wavelengths on the same physical path, thereby increasing capacity without adding latency-inducing switching stages
3Adaptability or versatility
If traditional IP fabrics are used, then routing flexibility is achieved, but operational complexity increases due to the need to manage numerous active devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the routing intelligence from the core switching fabric and places it at the edge devices and leaf nodes. The optical cross-connects operate as simple, passive wavelength routers without complex control planes, significantly reducing operational complexity while maintaining routing flexibility through software-defined networking at the intelligent edges
Data Source
AI summary
An optical communication system including a hub optical transceiver, a power splitter, and a plurality of spoke transceivers. The hub optical transceiver is configured for receiving a spectrum of wavelengths. The power splitter is coupled to the hub optical transceiver, and operates as a passive device that is configured to replicate the spectrum of wavelengths and output a plurality of replicated spectrum of wavelengths, and each replicated spectrum of wavelengths has a corresponding power that is a fraction of a total power received from the hub optical transceiver. The plurality of spoke transceivers is coupled to the power splitter and each of the plurality of spoke transceivers is configured to receive a corresponding one of the plurality of replicated spectrum of wavelengths, wherein each spoke transceiver is tunable to select a band of wavelengths that set a bandwidth for the each spoke transceiver.