Optical High Radix Switch Design

Nathan L. Binkert, Al Davis, Norman P. Jouppi, Moray McLaren, Naveen Muralimanohar, Robert Schreiber, Jung Ho Ahn

Abstract: Networking consumes up to 33 percent of modern data center power. Network switches are the key source of inefficiency: a switch traversal costs an order of magnitude more than a link traversal. The authors propose a new high-radix switch architecture that uses emerging integrated optical interconnect technology to reduce switch power. They tailor every component of a switch to best exploit optical technology and improve switch scalability and energy efficiency.