TWO-PHASE ARBITRATION MECHANISM FOR A SHARED OPTICAL LINKS

• US 20110103397A1
• Filed: 10/30/2009
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Krishnamoorthy, Ashok, Schwetman, Herbert DeWitt JR., Zheng, Xuezhe, McCracken, Michael Oliver, Koka, Pranay
• Granted Patent: US 8,824,496 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/458
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0204 Broadcast and select arrangements, e.g. with an optical splitter at the input before adding or dropping
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0205 Select and combine arrangements, e.g. with an optical combiner at the output after adding or dropping
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0212 using optical switches or wavelength selective switches [WSS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0256 at the optical channel layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0267 Optical signaling or routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1301 Optical transmission, optical switches

Abstract

A method for arbitration in an arbitration domain. The method includes: receiving, by each node of a plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain, an arbitration request from each sending node of the plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain, where the plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain each use a shared data channel to send data to a set of receiving nodes; assigning, by each node in the arbitration domain, consecutive time slots to each sending node based on a plurality of priorities assigned to the plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain; for each time slot: sending, from the arbitration domain, a switch request to a receiving node designated by the sending node, where the receiving node is in the set of receiving nodes; and sending, by the sending node, data to the receiving node via the shared data channel during the time slot.

Claims

1. A method for arbitration in an arbitration domain, comprising:

receiving, by each node of a plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain, an arbitration request from each sending node of the plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain, wherein the plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain each use a shared data channel to send data to a set of receiving nodes;

assigning, by each node in the arbitration domain, consecutive time slots to each sending node based on a plurality of priorities assigned to the plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain;

for each time slot;

sending, from the arbitration domain, a switch request to a receiving node designated by the sending node, wherein the receiving node is in the set of receiving nodes; and

sending, by the sending node, data to the receiving node via the shared data channel during the time slot.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the switch request is sent by the sending node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the switch request is sent by a column node of a plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain, wherein the column node is assigned to a column connected to the receiving node.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the column node is located at an intersection of the column and a row, and wherein the row comprises the column node and the sending node.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain are located in a single row.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of nodes are each associated with a plurality of arbitration domains, wherein a separate arbitration domain of the plurality of arbitration domains exists for each group of receiving nodes, and wherein each receiving node in the group of receiving nodes receives data from each of the plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain on a same data channel.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the group of receiving nodes corresponding to the arbitration domain comprises all nodes in a single column.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the group of receiving nodes corresponding to an arbitration domain corresponds to a single node.

9. A system for arbitration in an arbitration domain, comprising:

a set of receiving nodes comprising a receiving node configured to receive data; and

an arbitration domain comprising a plurality of nodes having a shared data channel to send the data to the set of receiving nodes, wherein the plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain is configured to;

receive, by each node of the plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain, an arbitration request from each sending node of the plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain;

assign, by each node in the arbitration domain, consecutive time slots to each sending node based on a plurality of priorities assigned to the plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain;

for each time slot;

send, from the arbitration domain, a switch request to the receiving node designated by the sending node; and

send, by the sending node, data to the receiving node via the shared data channel during the time slot.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a lower arbitration waveguide configured to transmit the arbitration request from each sending node of the plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain to each receiving node of the plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain; and

an upper arbitration waveguide configured to transmit the switch request to a column comprising the receiving node.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the upper arbitration waveguide comprises a wavelength selection switch for each sending node, wherein the switch request is sent by the sending node, and wherein sending the switch request comprises:

selecting a wavelength corresponding to the column comprising the receiving node to obtain a selected wavelength, and

sending the switch request in the selected wavelength,

wherein a drop filter connected to the column is configured to transmit the switch request to the column when the switch request is in the selected wavelength.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the upper arbitration waveguide comprises a first drop filter for each of the plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain, wherein the switch request is sent by a column node of a plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain, wherein the column node is assigned to the column, and wherein sending the switch request comprises:

sending the switch request in a wavelength corresponding to the first drop filter connected to the sending node, and

wherein a second drop filter connected to the column is configured to transmit the switch request to the column when the switch request is in the wavelength corresponding to the first drop filter connected to the sending node.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the lower arbitration waveguide comprises a wavelength selection switch for each sending node, and wherein each sending node sends the arbitration request by:

selecting a wavelength corresponding to a sending node to obtain a selected wavelength, and

sending the arbitration request in the selected wavelength,

wherein the arbitration request comprises a column identifier of the column comprising the receiving node.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the lower arbitration waveguide comprises a drop filter for each sending node, and wherein each sending node transmits the arbitration request on the lower arbitration waveguide by:

selecting a wavelength corresponding to the drop filter to obtain a selected wavelength; and

sending the arbitration request to the drop filter in the selected wavelength.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of nodes are each associated with a plurality of arbitration domains, wherein a separate arbitration domain of the plurality of arbitration domains exists for each group of receiving nodes, and wherein each receiving node in the group of receiving nodes receives data from each of the plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain on a same data channel.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the group of receiving nodes corresponding to the arbitration domain comprises all nodes in a single column.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the group of receiving nodes corresponding to an arbitration domain corresponds to a single node.

18. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a set of receiving nodes comprising a receiving node configured to receive data; and

an arbitration domain comprising a plurality of nodes having a shared data channel to send the data to the set of receiving nodes, wherein the plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain is configured to;

receive, by each node of the plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain, an arbitration request from each sending node of the plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain;

assign, by each node in the arbitration domain, consecutive time slots to each sending node based on a plurality of priorities assigned to the plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain;

for each time slot;

send, from the arbitration domain, a switch request to the receiving node designated by the sending node; and

send, by the sending node, data to the receiving node via the shared data channel during the time slot.

19. The integrated circuit of claim 18, further comprising:

a lower arbitration waveguide configured to transmit the arbitration request from each sending node of the plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain to each receiving node of the plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain; and

an upper arbitration waveguide configured to transmit the switch request to a column comprising the receiving node.

20. The integrated circuit of claim 19, wherein the upper arbitration waveguide comprises a first drop filter for each of the plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain, wherein the switch request is sent by a column node of a plurality of nodes in the arbitration domain, wherein the column node is assigned to the column, and wherein sending the switch request comprises:

sending the switch request in a wavelength corresponding to the first drop filter connected to the sending node, and

wherein a second drop filter connected to the column is configured to transmit the switch request to the column when the switch request is in the wavelength corresponding to the first drop filter connected to the sending node.