Top-of-Rack Switch With Multi-Channel Optical Transceivers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional top-of-rack (TOR) switches cannot meet the increasing bandwidth requirements of modern data centers due to their limited size and port density, which is insufficient for supporting the growing number of energy-efficient and bandwidth-hungry servers in cloud computing environments.
Innovation Solution
A TOR switch design incorporating high-density multi-channel optical transceivers and a combination of SFP+ and MPO interfaces on a single printed circuit board, enabling a compact solution that fits within a standard rack unit while providing up to 1.28 Tbps bandwidth through 128 10-Gigabit Ethernet ports, with flexible configuration options for 10 GbE, 40 GbE, and 100 GbE ports.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If conventional TOR switches are used, then the device fits within standard rack units, but the bandwidth capacity and port density are insufficient to meet modern data center requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple optical transceiver channels (12 channels per transceiver) into a single integrated component that connects to the switch chip through a unified electrical interface. This merging of multiple optical channels into consolidated transceiver modules enables high port density (128 ports) while maintaining a compact form factor that fits within standard rack units, thereby achieving terabit bandwidth capacity without proportionally increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from traditional electrical connections to optical connections by integrating multi-channel optical transceivers directly onto the switch board. This dimensional change from electrical to optical domain enables significantly higher bandwidth capacity (terabit class) while the modular transceiver design maintains manageable complexity through standardized interfaces and compact packaging
2Power
If the number of server ports is increased to support more servers, then the bandwidth capacity increases, but the physical size and complexity of the switch increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the optical interface functionality into separate multi-channel transceiver modules that can be independently mounted on the switch board. Each transceiver handles multiple optical channels (12 channels per transceiver), allowing the system to achieve high port counts (128 ports) through modular integration rather than requiring a monolithic increase in switch physical size. This segmentation enables compact deployment while supporting terabit bandwidth capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The optical transceivers are designed with multi-functionality, capable of supporting multiple protocol standards and data rates through a single unified interface. The transceivers can operate in different modes (e.g., 10G, 40G, 100G configurations) and support various protocols (Ethernet, Fibre Channel), allowing the switch to achieve high bandwidth capacity and adaptability without requiring separate dedicated hardware for each function, thereby avoiding physical size proliferation
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a printed circuit board (PCB), a number of multi-channel optical transceivers mounted on the PCB, and a number of switch ports accessible from a front panel of the switch. The switch ports include a number of electrical interfaces that are electrically coupled to a switch chip mounted on the PCB, and a number of optical interfaces that are coupled to the switch chip via the multi-channel optical transceivers.