Systems and methods for increasing bandwidth in a computer network

• US 9,473,833 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2015
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Urata, Ryohei, Liu, Hong, Vahdat, Amin, Johnson, Christopher Lyle, Zhou, Junlan, Shraer, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): PASCAL, LESLIE C
• Application Number:
  US14/986,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20160119696A1
• Time in Patent Office: 292 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4022 using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network G06F13/4009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0005 Switch and router aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0062 Network aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0015 using splitting combining
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0052 Interconnection of switches
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Systems and methods for increasing bandwidth in a computer network are provided. A computer network can include a first lower level switch, first and second upper level switches, and first and second passive optical splitters, and a mirror. The first passive optical splitter can have a first port directly coupled to the first upper level switch, a second port directly coupled to the second upper level switch. The second passive optical splitter can have a port directly coupled to a port of the first passive optical splitter, and a port directly coupled to the first lower level switch. The mirror can be coupled to a port of the second passive optical splitter and reflect an optical signal received from the second passive optical splitter to the first upper level switch and second upper level switch through the second passive optical splitter and the first passive optical splitter.

Claims

1. A computer network, comprising:

a first lower level switch;

a first upper level switch;

a second upper level switch;

a first passive optical splitter having a first port directly coupled to the first upper level switch, a second port directly coupled to the second upper level switch, a third port, and a fourth port;

a second passive optical splitter having a first port directly coupled to the fourth port of the first passive optical splitter, a second port, a third port directly coupled to the first lower level switch, and a fourth port; and

a first mirror coupled to the fourth port of the second passive optical splitter and configured to reflect an optical signal received from the second passive optical splitter to the first upper level switch and second upper level switch through the second passive optical splitter and the first passive optical splitter,

where each of the first passive optical splitter and the second passive optical splitter is configured to transmit signals received at one of its first port and second port as output signals on both of its third port and fourth port, and transmit signals received at one of its third port and fourth port as output signals on both of its first port and second port.

2. The computer network of claim 1, wherein the first lower level switch is a top-of-rack switch in a datacenter.

3. The computer network of claim 1, wherein the first lower level switch, the first upper level switch and the second upper level switch are each coupled to a respective port of one of the first and second optical splitters through a respective circulator.

4. The computer network of claim 1, wherein the first lower level switch, the first upper level switch and the second upper level switch are each configured to allow bidirectional communication to and from a respective port of one of the first and second optical splitters.

5. The computer network of claim 1, further comprising:

a second lower level switch;

a third lower level switch;

a third upper level switch;

a third passive optical splitter having a first port directly coupled to the third upper level switch, a second port, a third port, and a fourth port directly coupled to the second port of the second passive optical splitter;

a fourth passive optical splitter having a first port directly coupled to the third port of the first passive optical splitter, a second port directly coupled to the third port of the third passive optical splitter, a third port directly coupled to the second lower level switch, and a fourth port directly coupled to the third lower level switch,

where each of the third passive optical splitter and the fourth passive optical splitter is configured to transmit signals received at one of its first port and second port as output signals on both of its third port and fourth port, and transmit signals received at one of its third port and fourth port as output signals on both of its first port and second port.

6. The computer network of claim 5, further comprising:

a second mirror coupled to the second port of the third passive optical splitter and configured to reflect an optical signal received from the third optical splitter to the first lower level switch, the second lower level switch and the third lower level switch through the third passive optical splitter and the fourth passive optical splitter.

7. The computer network of claim 5, wherein the second lower level switch and the third lower level switch are top-of-rack switches in a datacenter.

8. The computer network of claim 5, wherein the second lower level switch, the third lower level switch and the third upper level switch are each coupled to a respective port of one of the third and fourth optical splitters through a respective circulator.

9. The computer network of claim 5, wherein the second lower level switch, the third lower level switch and the third upper level switch are each configured to allow bidirectional communication to and from a respective port of one of the third and fourth optical splitters.

10. A method for transmitting data in a computer network, the method comprising:

transmitting, by a first upper level switch, a first data packet to a first lower level switch and a first mirror through a first optical splitter coupled to the first upper level switch and a second optical splitter coupled to the first optical splitter, the first lower level switch and the first mirror; and

transmitting, by reflection of the first mirror, the first data packet to a second upper level switch coupled to the first optical splitter through the second optical splitter and the first optical splitter.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

transmitting, by the first upper level switch, the first data packet comprises;

transmitting, by the first optical splitter, the first data packet received at one of two upper ports of the first optical splitter as output signals on both of two lower ports of the first optical splitter; and

transmitting, by the second optical splitter, the first data packet received at one of two upper ports of the second optical splitter as output signals on both of two lower ports of the second optical splitter, and

transmitting, by reflection of the first mirror, the first data packet comprises;

transmitting, by the second optical splitter, the first data packet received at one of the two lower ports of the second optical splitter as output signals on both of the two upper ports of the second optical splitter; and

transmitting, by the first optical splitter, the first data packet received at one of two lower ports of the first optical splitter as output signals on both of the two upper ports of the first optical splitter.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting, by the reflection of the first mirror, the first data packet to a third upper level switch through the second optical splitter and a third optical splitter coupled to both the second optical splitter and the third upper level switch; and

transmitting, by the first upper level switch, the first data packet to a second lower level switch and a third lower level switch through the first optical splitter and a fourth optical splitter that is coupled to the first optical splitter, the second lower level switch and the third lower level switch.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting, by one of the first, second and third upper level switches, a second data packet to all of the first, second and third lower level switches and to the other switches of the first, second and third upper level switches through the first, second, third and fourth optical splitters and the first mirror.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting, by one of the first, second and third lower level switches, a third data packet to all of the first, second and third upper level switches and to the other switches of the first, second and third lower level switches through the first, second, third and fourth optical splitters and a second mirror coupled to the third optical splitter.

15. A computer network, comprising:

first mirror means; and

passive optical splitter means for transmitting therethrough a first data packet from a first upper level switch to a first lower level switch and the first mirror means, the passive optical splitter means comprising first passive optical splitter means coupled to the first upper level switch and second passive optical splitter means coupled to the first passive optical splitter means, the first lower level switch and the first mirror means,

wherein the first mirror means transmits, by reflection, the first data packet received from the second passive optical splitter means to a second upper level switch coupled to the first passive optical splitter means through the second passive optical splitter means and the first passive optical splitter means.

16. The computer network of claim 15, wherein:

in response to receiving the first data packet from the first upper level switch, the first passive optical splitter means transmits the first data packet received at one of two upper ports of the first passive optical splitter means as output signals on both of two lower ports of the first passive optical splitter means;

in response to receiving the first data packet from the first passive optical splitter means, the second passive optical splitter means transmits the first data packet received at one of two upper ports of the second passive optical splitter means as output signals on both of two lower ports of the second passive optical splitter means;

in response to receiving the first data packet from the first mirror means, the second passive optical splitter means transmits the first data packet received at one of the two lower ports of the second passive optical splitter means as output signals on both of the two upper ports of the second passive optical splitter means; and

in response to receiving the first data packet from the second passive optical splitter means, the first passive optical splitter means transmits the first data packet received at one of two lower ports of the first passive optical splitter means as output signals on both of the two upper ports of the first passive optical splitter means.

17. The computer network of claim 15, wherein:

the passive optical splitter means further comprises a third optical splitter means coupled to both the second optical splitter means and a third upper level switch, and a fourth optical splitter means coupled to the first optical splitter means, a second lower level switch and a third lower level switch;

the first mirror means transmits, by reflection, the first data packet to the third upper level switch through the second optical splitter means and the third optical splitter means; and

the passive optical splitter means transmits, from the first upper level switch, the first data packet to the second lower level switch and the third lower level switch through the first optical splitter means and the fourth optical splitter means.

18. The computer network of claim 17, wherein:

the passive optical splitter means and the first mirror means transmits, from one of the first, second and third upper level switches, a second data packet to all of the first, second and third lower level switches and to the other switches of the first, second and third upper level switches through the first, second, third and fourth optical splitters means and the first mirror means.

19. The computer network of claim 17, further comprising:

a second mirror coupled to the third optical splitter means,

wherein the passive optical splitter means and the second mirror means transmits, from one of the first, second and third lower level switches, a third data packet to all of the first, second and third upper level switches and to the other switches of the first, second and third lower level switches through the first, second, third and fourth optical splitter means and the second mirror means.