Zero loss photonic integrated switches for scalable torus mesh network topologies

用于可扩展环面网状网络拓扑的零损耗光子集成交换机

• 批准号: 514644-2017
• 负责人: LiboironLadouceur, Odile
• 金额: $ 3.72万
• 依托单位: McGill University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Collaborative Research and Development Grants
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2019-01-01 至 2020-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=690290
• 关键词: Zero; loss; photonic; integrated; switches

This three-year project investigates scalable interconnection network architecture for data centers. A torus network topology can scale to meet the demand for larger data interconnectivity between servers requiring low latency and large aggregated bandwidth. While servers are interconnected optically with point-to-point optical links, the interconnectivity is currently reconfigured using an electrical switch ensuring connectivity between all servers. The signal conversion between the optical domain of the transmission and the electrical domain for the switching is limiting the scalability of the network. Through recent development in photonic integration, practical optical switch matrices proved to be a potentially disruptive solution. The challenges remain in the scalability of photonic circuits in silicon technology platform due to their inherent propagation and fiber coupling losses. The project is in collaboration with an Ottawa-based startup, Rockport Networks, investigating the prospect of photonic integrated switches for data centers interconnectivity exploiting Rockport's innovative control plane. Important research advancements beyond the switch co-design with the controller are solution development for compensating the losses using optical gain elements. Prof. Liboiron-Ladouceur and her students will leverage significant contributions made in the last five years in the area of photonic integrated circuits and switches to investigate system integration feasibility and scalability of integrated optical switch matrices. The benefits of this industrial collaboration will allow Rockport to verify their architectural approach and support their control plane software development effort. At a larger scale, more scalable hardware infrastructure supporting the Internet will allow for more secure communication with greater ability to support the exponential increase in data and its invaluable possibilities.

这个为期三年的项目研究了数据中心可扩展的互连网络体系结构。圆环网络拓扑可以扩展，以满足需要低延迟和较大汇总带宽的服务器之间对数据互连的需求。尽管服务器与点对点的光学链路相互连接，但目前使用电气开关确保所有服务器之间的连接性重新配置互连性。变速箱的光学结构域与开关的电域之间的信号转换在于限制网络的可扩展性。通过光子整合的最新发展，实用的光开关矩阵被证明是一种潜在的破坏性解决方案。由于硅技术平台中光子电路的可扩展性，由于其固有的繁殖和纤维耦合损失，挑战仍然存在。该项目与位于渥太华的创业公司Rockport Networks合作，调查了用于数据中心的光子集成开关的前景，该开关利用了Rockport的创新控制平面。与控制器共同设计之外的重要研究进步是解决方案开发，用于使用光学增益元素补偿损失。 Liboiron-Ladouceur教授和她的学生将利用光子集成电路和开关领域的过去五年中的重要贡献，以研究集成光学开关矩阵的系统集成可行性和可扩展性。这种工业合作的好处将使罗克波特能够验证其建筑方法并支持其控制平面软件开发工作。在更大范围内，支持Internet的更可扩展的硬件基础架构将允许更安全的通信，并具有更大的能力支持数据及其宝贵的可能性。