Optically switched network topology

An enterprise computer system, comprising:

• a set of servers;
• a set of storage devices;
• and
• an optically switched network that facilitates communications among the set of servers and the set of storage devices, wherein the set of servers and the set of storage devices comprise end-nodes in the optically switched network, wherein the optically switched network includes:
• a passive optical switch with N inputs and N outputs, wherein the passive optical switch can communicate different wavelengths from each of the N inputs to each of the N outputs;
• N end-nodes, each end-node comprising:
• N−1 virtual output queues, wherein each of the virtual output queues has an associated wavelength corresponding to only one output port of the passive optical switch;
• and
• a tunable laser for emitting data queued in the virtual output queues with the associated wavelengths and for emitting arbitration information with one or more control wavelengths λc;
• and
• N pairs of optical fibers, wherein each pair connects one of the N end-nodes to a corresponding one of the N inputs and a corresponding one of the N outputs of the passive optical switch;
• wherein the optically switched network is organized into two overlay networks over a same underlying physical network:
• one for a virtual data plane and one for a virtual control plane, wherein both the virtual data plane and the virtual control plane communicate simultaneously through the same underlying physical network;
• wherein the virtual data plane is organized in a star topology that provides any-to-all parallel connectivity for data transmissions among the N end-nodes such that the optical switch can convey parallel data transmissions from one of the N end-nodes to multiple other end-nodes;
• wherein the virtual control plane is organized as a ring that serially connects the N end-nodes, wherein the ring is used to communicate the arbitration information among distributed-arbitration logic executed at each of the N end-nodes;
• and
• wherein each input of the optical switch:
• receives data emitted from the corresponding end-node and switches the data to an output associated with a wavelength of the emitted data;
• and
• receives arbitration information emitted from the corresponding end-node and redirects the arbitration information to a subsequent end-node in the ring topology.

A method for facilitating communications through an optically switched network, comprising:

• operating the optically switched network, wherein the optically switched network comprises:
• a passive optical switch with N inputs and N outputs, wherein the passive optical switch can communicate different wavelengths from each of the N inputs to each of the N outputs;
• N end-nodes, each end-node comprising:
• N−1 virtual output queues, wherein each of the virtual output queues has an associated wavelength corresponding to only one output port of the passive optical switch;
• and
• a tunable laser for emitting data queued in the virtual output queues with the associated wavelengths and for emitting arbitration information with one or more control wavelengths λc;
• and
• N pairs of optical fibers, wherein each pair connects one of the N end-nodes to a corresponding one of the N inputs and a corresponding one of the N outputs of the passive optical switch;
• wherein the optically switched network is organized into two overlay networks over a same underlying physical network:
• one for a virtual data plane and one for a virtual control plane, wherein both the virtual data plane and the virtual control plane communicate simultaneously through the same underlying physical network;
• and
• while the optically switched network is operating:
• using the virtual control plane to communicate the arbitration information among distributed-arbitration logic executed at each of the N end-nodes, wherein the virtual control plane is organized as a ring that serially connects the N end-nodes;
• and
• using the distributed-arbitration logic to coordinate data transmissions through the virtual data plane, wherein the virtual data plane is organized in a star topology that provides any-to-all parallel connectivity for data transmissions among the N end-nodes such that the optical switch can convey parallel data transmissions from one of the N end-nodes to multiple other end-nodes
• wherein each input of the optical switch:
• receives data emitted from the corresponding end-node and switches the data to an output associated with a wavelength of the emitted data;
• and
• receives arbitration information emitted from the corresponding end-node and redirects the arbitration information to a subsequent end-node in the ring topology.