# US 10,771,871 B2 · Data center architecture utilizing optical switches > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,771,871 B2 - Document ID: US10771871B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/839,643 - Filed: 2020-04-03 - Published: 2020-07-23 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2013-02-27 - Assignees: Juniper Networks, Inc. - Applicants: Juniper Networks, Inc. - Inventors: Adel Saleh - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10771871B2 ## CPC - H04Q 11/0005: {Switch and router aspects} - H04J 14/0212: {using optical switches or wavelength selective switches [WSS]} - H04J 14/02862: {WDM data centre network [DCN] architectures} - H04J 14/08: Time-division multiplex systems - H04Q 11/0066: {Provisions for optical burst or packet networks} - H04Q 2011/0016: {using wavelength multiplexing or demultiplexing} - H04Q 2011/0056: {Clos} - H04Q: SELECTING (switches, relays, selectors H01H; wireless communication networks H04W) - H04J: MULTIPLEX COMMUNICATION (transmission in general H04B; peculiar to transmission of digital information H04L5/00; systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal H04N7/08; in exchanges H04Q11/00; stereophonic systems H04S) ## Abstract Embodiments of the invention describe flexible (i.e., elastic) data center architectures capable of meeting exascale, while maintaining low latency and using reasonable sizes of electronic packet switches, through the use of optical circuit switches such as optical time, wavelength, waveband and space circuit switching technologies. This flexible architecture enables the reconfigurability of the interconnectivity of servers and storage devices within a data center to respond to the number, size, type and duration of the various applications being requested at any given point in time. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for routing data in a switch network, the method comprising: receiving, by the switch network, data packets from a plurality of node devices, the switch network comprising a level of electronic switches and a level of optical switches that are located between the level of electronic switches and the plurality of node devices, the optical switches being configured to change connections between the electronic switches and the plurality of node devices; changing connections between one or more of the electronic switches and the plurality of node devices using one or more of the optical switches; and receiving additional data by the one or more of the electronic switches, the additional data received by the one or more of the electronic switches using the connections changed by the one or more of the optical switches. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of node devices are included in a data center, and wherein the data from the plurality of node devices is addressed to one or more external devices that are external to the data center. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: transmitting, by the electronic switches in the switch network, the data received from the plurality of nodes to the one or more external devices. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the electronic switches of the switch network receive the additional data from the one or more external devices. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising: transmitting, by the electronic switches of the switch network, the additional data from the one or more external devices to the plurality of nodes using the connections changed by the one or more of the optical switches of the switch network. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the switch network comprises an additional level of additional electronic switches located between the plurality of nodes and the level of optical switches, the additional electronic switches being communicatively coupled to the plurality of nodes and the optical switches of the switch network. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the additional electronic switches is a fiber-based switch space. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the fiber-based switch space is communicatively coupled to the plurality of node devices using optical fibers. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the level of optical switches comprise a first layer of optical switches and a second layer of optical switches, the first layer of optical switches being communicatively coupled to the second layer of optical switches. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the first layer of optical switches is communicatively coupled to the electronic switches of the switch network. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the second layer of optical switches is communicatively coupled to a third level of additional electronic switches located between the plurality of nodes and the optical switches. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the first layer of optical switches comprises one or more wavelength division multiplex (WDM) switches. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the second layer of optical switches comprises one or more Optical Time Division Multiplex (OTDM) switches. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of node devices comprises a plurality of servers. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of node devices comprises a plurality of storage devices. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the optical switches of the switch network include at least one or more of: a plurality of optical fiber switches; a plurality of waveband switches; a plurality of wavelength switches; or a plurality of time domain switches. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of optical fiber switches comprises at least one of: a plurality of fiber patch panels, or a plurality of micro-electrical mechanical system space switches. ### Claim 18 A data center system comprising: a plurality of nodes devices; and a switch network configured to receive data packets from the plurality of node devices, the switch network comprising a level of electronic switches and a level of optical switches that are located between the level of electronic switches and the plurality of node devices, the level of optical switches being communicatively coupled to the level of electronic switches and the plurality of node devices, the level of optical switches being configured to change connections between the level of electronic switches and the plurality of node devices. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The data center system of claim 18, wherein the data is addressed to one or more external devices that are external to the data center, and wherein one or more of the electronic switches in the switch network are configured to send data to the one or more external devices and receive data from the one or more external devices. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The data center system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of node devices include a plurality of servers; and wherein the optical switches of the switch network include at least one or more of: a plurality of optical fiber switches; a plurality of waveband switches; a plurality of wavelength switches; or a plurality of time domain switches.