Data center with free-space optical communications

• US 8,818,196 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2010
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• 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): DOBSON, DANIEL G
• Application Number:
  US12/924,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20110262137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 398118-131
• US Class Current: 398/127
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/11 Arrangements specific to free-space transmission, i.e. transmission through air or vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1149 Arrangements for indoor wireless networking of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/516 Details of coding or modulation

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 first set of data center units (DCUs);

a second set of DCUs coupled to the first set of DCUs via an internal network of one or more optical communication links;

wherein each DCU comprises a plurality of data processing units communicatively coupled by use of respective intra-DCU communication networks, each data processing unit comprising a plurality of servers and wherein the data processing units of the DCUs are configured to run a part or all of a data processing application;

wherein each DCU further comprises an optical interface unit configured to communicatively couple the respective intra-DCU networks to the internal network of optical communication links;

wherein the internal network comprises at least a first network hub and a second network hub; and

wherein the first and second set of DCUs are linked to the first and second network hubs, respectively, via one or more free space optical communication links.

2. The data center of claim 1, wherein the first and second network hubs are linked via a fiber optic link.

3. The data center of claim 1, wherein the first and second network hubs are linked via a free space optical communication link.

4. The data center of claim 1, wherein the one or more optical communication links are arranged in a bus, star, ring and/or hybrid topology.

5. The data center of claim 1, wherein the one or more optical communication links are dynamically establishable.

6. The data center of claim 1, wherein the internal network is configured so that at least two of the optical communication links have equal lengths.

7. The data center of claim 1, wherein the internal network further comprises internal buffers configured to compensate for link path-length differences.

8. The data center of claim 1, wherein a selection of the first set of DCUs linked to the first network hub is dynamic.

9. The data center of claim 1, wherein the first network hub comprises an N ×

N switch operable to interconnect the first set of DCUs.

10. The data center of claim 1, wherein a link connected to the first network hub has multiple distinct wavelength channels.

11. The data center of claim 1, wherein the first network hub comprises a lambda-router.

12. The data center of claim 1, wherein the internal network comprises an arrangement of links from a first sub hub to a selected grouping of DCUs.

13. The data center of claim 12, wherein the selected grouping of data center units linked to the first sub hub is dynamic.

14. The data center of claim 12 wherein the internal network comprises links from the first sub-hub to the first network hub, a second sub-hub and/or other DCU.

15. The data center of claim 14, wherein the first sub-hub comprises a switch operable to connect the selected grouping of data center units to the first hub, the second sub-hub and/or the other data center unit.

16. The data center of claim 1, wherein the internal network comprises one or more central hubs and/or sub-hubs.

17. The data center of claim 16, wherein the internal network comprises links between the one or more central hubs, sub-hubs, and/or data center units.

18. The data center of claim 16, wherein the one or more central hubs and/or sub-hubs comprise a hologram.

19. The data center of claim 18, wherein the hologram is configured to redirect one or more incident light beams according to a predefined routing.

20. The data center of claim 18, wherein the hologram is configured to redirect one or more incident light beams according to a predefined routing that is digitally written in the hologram.

21. The data center of claim 18, wherein the hologram is configured to redirect one or more incident light beams according to a predefined routing that is digitally rewritten in the hologram in data center operations.

22. The data center of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data center units comprise one or more of data center bottles and/or data processing units, wherein the data center bottles include a plurality of data processing units, 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.

23. The data center of claim 1, further comprising a network controller configured to connect and/or disconnect individual DCUs from a network of free space optical communication links.

24. A method comprising:

providing a first set of data center units (DCUs); and

providing a second set of DCUs coupled to the first set of DCUs via an internal network of one or more optical communication links,

wherein each DCU comprises a plurality of data processing units communicatively coupled by use of respective intra-DCU communication networks, each data processing unit comprising a plurality of servers and wherein the data processing units of the DCUs are configured to run a part or all of a data processing application;

concentrating a plurality of free space optical communication signals of the first set of DCUs into a composite signal at a first hub of the internal network; and

directing respective free space optical signals of the composite signal to selected DCUs in the second set of DCUs at a second hub of the internal network.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the first and second network hubs are linked via a fiber optic link.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the first and second network hubs are linked via a free space optical communication link.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the one or more optical communication links are arranged in a bus, star, ring and/or hybrid topology.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the one or more optical communication links are dynamically establishable.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the internal network is configured so that at least two of the optical communication links have equal lengths.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein the internal network further comprises internal buffers configured to compensate for link path-length differences.

31. The method of claim 24, wherein a selection of the first set of DCUs linked to the first network hub is dynamic.

32. The method of claim 24, wherein the first network hub comprises an N x N switch operable to interconnect the first set of DCUs.

33. The method of claim 24, wherein a link connected to the first network hub has multiple distinct wavelength channels.

34. The method of claim 24, wherein the first network hub comprises a lambda-router.

35. The method of claim 24, wherein the internal network comprises an arrangement of links from a first sub hub to a selected grouping of DCUs.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the selected grouping of data center units linked to the first sub hub is dynamic.

37. The method of claim 35 wherein the internal network comprises links from the first sub-hub to the first network hub, a second sub-hub and/or other DCU.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the first sub-hub comprises a switch operable to connect the selected grouping of data center units to the first hub, the second sub-hub and/or the other data center unit.

39. The method of claim 24, wherein the internal network comprises one or more central hubs and/or sub-hubs.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the internal network comprises links between the one or more central hubs, sub-hubs, and/or data center units.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the one or more central hubs and/or sub-hubs comprise a hologram.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the hologram is configured to redirect one or more incident light beams according to a predefined routing.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the hologram is configured to redirect one or more incident light beams according to a predefined routing that is digitally written in the hologram.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein the hologram is configured to redirect one or more incident light beams according to a predefined routing that is digitally rewritten in the hologram in data center operations.

45. The method of claim 24, wherein the plurality of data center units comprise one or more of data center bottles and/or data processing units, wherein the data center bottles include a plurality of data processing units, 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.

46. The method of claim 24, further comprising providing a network controller configured to connect and/or disconnect individual DCUs from a network of free space optical communication links.