Data center with free-space optical communications

• US 8,483,569 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2010
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Davidson, Howard Lee, Hamilton, James R., Hyde, Roderick A., Josefsberg, Arne, Jung, Edward K. Y., Kare, Jordin T., Lord, Robert W., Lustig, Kenneth, Mangione-Smith, William Henry, Manos, Michael, Mundie, Craig J., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Rashid, Richard F., Smith, Burton, Tegreene, Clarence T., Welland, Robert V., Whitmer, Charles, Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, DZUNG D
• Application Number:
  US12/924,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20110150492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 398115-130
• US Class Current: 398/124
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1149 Arrangements for indoor wireless networking of information

Abstract

A data center for executing a data processing application includes processing units, sub-units or servers. Each of the processing units, sub-units or servers can execute a part or all of the data processing application. The processing units, sub-units or servers are electrical disjoint with respect to data communications, but can communicate with each other over free space optical links.

Claims

1. A data center comprising:

a plurality of bottles, wherein each bottle has one or more data processing units (DPUs) configured to run a part or all of a data processing application, wherein at least a first of the plurality of bottles has an optical interface unit (OIU) configured to connect or disconnect the first bottle to or from an inter-bottle network of one or more free space optical communication links between the plurality of bottles in the data center, and wherein one of the bottles is a mobile bottle comprising a motion mechanism configured to move the mobile bottle within the data center; and

a monitoring module configured to determine a current location of the mobile bottle within the data center, and

wherein the one or more data processing units (DPUs) in the first bottle are communicatively linked by an intra-bottle network that is optically decoupled from the inter-bottle network based, at least in part, on the determined current location of the mobile bottle.

2. The data center of claim 1, wherein the OIU is configured to respond to optical control signals to connect or disconnect the first bottle to or from the inter-bottle network.

3. The data center of claim 1, wherein the intra-bottle network comprises electrical, rf and/or microwave links.

4. The data center of claim 1, wherein the intra-bottle network comprises fiber optic and/or free space optical, links.

5. The data center of claim 1, wherein the inter-bottle network is configured to reuse a wavelength used in the intra-bottle network for communication.

6. The data center of claim 1, wherein the optical interface unit comprises at least one of an optical signal pass-through device, an optical beam generator, an optical beam modulator, an optical beam director, a steerable optical element, a beam-forming circuitry, an optical signal receiver/detector, an electrical-to-optical signal convertor, an optical-to-electrical signal converter, electrical and/or optical switchgear.

7. The data center of claim 1 further comprising, a light-absorbing gas arranged to dampen light propagation beyond a connection point in the inter-bottle network.

8. The data center of claim 1, wherein the inter-bottle network comprises of one or more free space optical communication links that are preset.

9. The data center of claim 1, wherein the inter-bottle network comprises of one or more free space optical communication links that are dynamically establishable.

10. The data center of claim 1, wherein the inter-bottle network comprises of one or more unipolar, bipolar, multi-polar, and/or pass-through optical links between the plurality of bottles disposed in the region.

11. The data center of claim 1, wherein a first bottle is configured to broadcast communications over the inter-bottle network of optical communication links.

12. The data center of claim 1 further comprising, a beacon assembly configured to locate a connection point for the OIU to connect the first bottle to the inter-bottle network.

13. The data center of claim 1 further comprising, an inter-bottle network controller coupled to the OIU.

14. The data center of claim 1, wherein a combination of a specific data processing application and a bottle running the specific data processing application is assigned a designated wavelength for data communications over the inter-bottle network.

15. The data center of claim 14, wherein the combination of a specific data processing application and the bottle running the specific data processing application is dynamically assigned the designated wavelength for mutual data communications over the inter-bottle network.

16. The data center of claim 14, wherein a specific bottle is assigned a discrete set of one or more wavelengths for data and/or control signal transmission over the inter-bottle network.

17. The data center of claim 14, wherein a specific bottle is assigned a discrete set of one or more wavelengths for data and/or control signal receiving over the inter-bottle network.

18. The data center of claim 1, wherein the inter-bottle network comprises a hierarchy of networks.

19. The data center of claim 1, wherein the inter-bottle network comprises a first network, which is optically isolated from a second network.

20. The data center of claim 19, wherein the inter-bottle network comprises receivers that are range and/or direction limited and configured to optically isolate a first network from a second network.

21. The data center of claim 1, wherein the inter-bottle network comprises an optically isolated wavelength-addressed n×

n network.

22. The data center of claim 1, wherein the inter-bottle network comprises a wavelength-addressed 32×

32 network.

23. The data center of claim 1, wherein the inter-bottle network comprises a hierarchy of diverse networks based on wavelengths and/or spatial diversity.

24. The data center of claim 1, wherein the data processing units include one or more data processing circuits, and wherein the data processing circuits include one or more electronic modules, boxes, servers, cards, boards, and/or racks or free standing assemblies thereof.

25. The data center of claim 1, further comprising, a network controller configured to connect and/or disconnect individual bottles from the inter-bottle network.

26. The data center of claim 1, wherein the intra-bottle network comprises one or more of wires, conductors, transmission lines, optical fibers, electromagnetic waveguides, free space optical and/or free space electromagnetic wave links.

27. The data center of claim 1, wherein the OIU is configured to connect the intra-bottle communications network to the internal network of one or more free space optical communication links.

28. A method comprising:

providing a plurality of bottles, wherein each bottle has one or more data processing units (DPUs) configured to run a part or all of a data processing application, wherein one or more of the bottles is a mobile bottle comprising a motion mechanism configured to reposition the mobile bottle within a data center;

providing at least a first of the plurality of bottles with an optical interface unit (OIU) configured to connect or disconnect the first bottle to or from an inter-bottle network of one or more free space optical communication links between the plurality of bottles in the data center;

determining a location of the mobile bottle within the data center; and

communicatively linking the one or more data processing units (DPUs) in the first bottle by an intra-bottle network that is optically decoupled from the inter-bottle network based on a location of the mobile bottle.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the, OIU is configured to respond to optical control signals to connect or disconnect the first bottle to or from the inter-bottle network.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the intra-bottle network comprises electrical, rf and/or microwave links.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the intra-bottle network comprises fiber optic and/or free space optical links.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein the inter-bottle network is configured to reuse a wavelength used in the intra-bottle network for communication.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein the optical interface unit comprises at least one of an optical signal pass-through device, an optical beam generator, an optical beam modulator, an optical beam director, a steerable optical element, a beam-forming circuitry, an optical signal receiver/detector, an electrical-to-optical signal convertor, an optical-to-electrical signal converter, electrical and/or optical switchgear.

34. The method of claim 28, further comprising, providing a light-absorbing gas arranged to dampen light propagation beyond a connection point in the inter-bottle network.

35. The method of claim 28, wherein the inter-bottle network comprises of one or more free space optical communication links that are preset.

36. The method of claim 28, wherein the inter-bottle network comprises of one or more free space optical communication links that are dynamically establishable.

37. The method of claim 28, wherein the inter-bottle network comprises of one or more unipolar, bipolar, multi-polar, and/or pass-through optical links between the plurality of bottles disposed in the region.

38. The method of claim 28, wherein a first bottle is configured to broadcast communications over the inter-bottle network of optical communication links.

39. The method of claim 28, further comprising, providing a beacon assembly configured to locate a connection point for the OIU to connect the first bottle to the inter-bottle network.

40. The method of claim 28, further comprising, providing an inter-bottle network controller coupled to the OIU.

41. The method of claim 28, wherein a combination of a specific data processing application and a bottle running the specific data processing application is assigned a designated wavelength for data communications over the inter-bottle network.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the combination of a specific data processing application and the bottle running the specific data processing application is dynamically assigned the designated wavelength for mutual data communications over the inter-bottle network.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein a specific bottle is assigned a discrete set of one or more wavelengths for data and/or control signal transmission over the inter-bottle network.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein a specific bottle is assigned a discrete set of one or more wavelengths for data and/or control signal receiving over the inter-bottle network.

45. The method of claim 28, wherein the inter-bottle network comprises a hierarchy of networks.

46. The method of claim 28, wherein the inter-bottle network comprises a first network, which is optically isolated from a second network.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the inter-bottle network comprises receivers that are range and/or direction limited and configured to optically isolate a first network from a second network.

48. The method of claim 28, wherein the inter-bottle network comprises an optically isolated wavelength-addressed n×

n network.

49. The method of claim 28, wherein the inter-bottle network comprises a wavelength-addressed 32×

32 network.

50. The method of claim 28, wherein the inter-bottle network comprises a hierarchy of diverse networks based on wavelengths and/or spatial diversity.

51. The method of claim 28, wherein the one or more data processing units are arranged as one or more individual data processing units and/or in one or more groups as data center bottles, wherein the data processing units include one or more data processing circuits, and wherein the data processing circuits include one or more electronic modules, boxes, servers, cards, boards, and/or racks or free standing assemblies thereof.

52. The method of claim 28, further comprising, providing a network controller configured to connect and/or disconnect individual bottles from the inter-bottle network.

53. The method of claim 28, wherein the intra-bottle network comprises one or more of wires, conductors, transmission lines, optical fibers, electromagnetic waveguides, free space optical and/or free space electromagnetic wave links.

54. The method of claim 28, wherein the OIU is configured to connect the intra-bottle communications network to the internal network of one or more free space optical communication links.