Non-blocking any-to-any data center network having multiplexed packet spraying within access node groups

A method comprising:

• interconnecting a plurality of servers of a data center by an intermediate network comprising:
• a switch fabric comprising a plurality of core switches;
• a plurality of access nodes, each of the access nodes coupled to a subset of the servers to communicate data packets between the servers,
• a plurality of electrical permutation devices coupled between the access nodes, each of the electrical permutation devices configured to communicate the data packets between a subset of the access nodes,
• wherein each of the electrical permutation devices comprise a set of input ports and a set of output ports to communicate the data packets between the access nodes,
• wherein each of the input ports of each of the electrical permutation devices receives a plurality of packet flows that each have a unique source address, and
• wherein each of the electrical permutation devices is configured to permute the plurality of unique packet flows received on each of the input ports across the output ports of the electrical permutation devices so as to provide full-mesh connectivity between the input ports and the output ports and where each output port receives a different one of the unique permutations of combinations based on the input ports of the electrical permutation device and the source address of the packet flows;
• and
• communicating a packet flow between the servers including spraying, with the access nodes, packets of the packet flow across the plurality of parallel data paths between the access nodes, and reordering, with the access nodes, the packets into the packet flow and delivering the reordered packets.

A network system comprising:

• a plurality of servers arranged as one or more groups of racks containing the servers;
• a switch fabric comprising a plurality of core switches interconnecting the groups of racks containing the servers;
• a plurality of access nodes, each of the access nodes, each of the access nodes coupled to a subset of the servers to communicate data packets between the servers,
• an electrical permutation device coupled between the access nodes of a first one of the groups of racks,
• wherein the electrical permutation device comprises a set of input ports and a set of output ports to communicate the data packets between the access nodes within the first one of the groups of racks,
• wherein each of the input ports receives a plurality of packet flows that each has a unique source address, and
• wherein the electrical permutation device is configured to permute the plurality of unique packet flows received on each of the input ports across the output ports of the electrical permutation device to provide full-mesh connectivity between the input ports and the output ports and where each of the output ports receive a different one of the unique permutations of combinations based on the input ports of the electrical permutation device and the source address of the packet flows;
• and
• an optical permutation device optically coupling the access nodes to the core switches by optical links to communicate the data packets between the access nodes and the core switches as optical signals,
• wherein the optical permutation device comprises a set of input optical ports and a set of output optical ports to direct optical communications between the access nodes and the core switches to communicate the data packets, and
• wherein the optical permutation device is configured to permute the optical communications received from the input optical ports across the output optical ports based on wavelength to provide full-mesh optical connectivity between the input optical ports and the output optical ports without optical interference.

A network system comprising:

• a plurality of servers arranged as one or more groups of racks containing the servers;
• a switch fabric comprising a plurality of core switches interconnecting the groups of racks containing the servers;
• a plurality of access nodes, each of the access nodes coupled to a subset of the servers to communicate data packets between the servers,
• a first stage permutation device coupled between the access nodes of a first one of the groups of racks,
• wherein the first stage permutation device comprises a set of input ports and a set of output ports to communicate the data packets between the access nodes within the first one of the groups of racks,
• wherein each of the input ports receives a plurality of packet flows that each has a unique source address, and
• wherein the first stage permutation device is configured to permute the plurality of unique packet flows received on each of the input ports across the output ports of the first stage permutation device to provide full-mesh connectivity between the input ports and the output ports and where each of the output ports receives a different one of the unique permutations of combinations based on the input ports of the first stage permutation device and the source address of the packet flows;
• and
• a second stage permutation device coupling the access nodes to the core switches to communicate the data packets between the access nodes and the core switches,
• wherein the second stage permutation device comprises a set of input ports and a set of output ports to direct communications between the access nodes and the core switches to transport the data packets, and
• wherein the second stage permutation device is configured to permute the communications received from the input ports across the output ports to provide full-mesh connectivity between the input ports and the output ports.

A method for forwarding communications within a packet-based network, the method comprising:

• receiving packets of a plurality of packet flows on each of a plurality of input ports of an electrical permutation device, wherein the plurality of input ports couples the electrical permutation device to a set of access nodes positioned between the electrical permutation device and a set of servers within the packet-based network;
• permuting the packet flows across a set of output ports of the electrical permutation device to provide full-mesh connectivity between the input ports and the output ports of the electrical permutation device, wherein, for a given input port, each of the packet flows has a unique source address, wherein each of the input ports receives packets for the same plurality of packet flows having the source addresses, and wherein permuting the packet flows comprises permuting the packet flows so that each of the output ports receives a different unique permutation of combinations of the input ports on which the packet flows were received and the respective source addresses of the packet flows;
• and
• forwarding, with the electrical permutation device and by the set of output ports, the permuted packet flows toward a set of one or more switches within the packet-based network.