Method and system for distributed control of large photonic switched networks

A method of allocating bandwidth for a network comprising a plurality of groups of subnetworks, a subnetwork comprising a plurality of server racks, each subnetwork in a group of subnetworks comprising an aggregation switch node configured to control the flow of traffic to and from the plurality of server racks in the subnetwork, the aggregation switch nodes in the network optically coupled to one another via at least one switch controlled by a switch controller, each group of subnetworks of the plurality of groups of subnetworks comprising a group controller in communication with each of the aggregation switch nodes in the group of subnetworks, and the group controllers communicatively coupled to one another, the method comprising:

• at a group controller of a first group of subnetworks:
• receiving from a group controller of each other group of subnetworks, the bandwidth demands for each other group of subnetworks with the first group of subnetworks;
• allocating bandwidth capacity between the first group of subnetworks and the other groups of subnetworks based on the received bandwidth demands;
• and
• sending each other group controller the allocated bandwidth capacity between the first group of subnetworks and the other groups of subnetworks.

A method of allocating bandwidth for a network comprising a plurality of groups of subnetworks, a subnetwork comprising a plurality of server racks, each subnetwork in a group of subnetworks comprising an aggregation switch node configured to control the flow of traffic to and from the plurality of server racks in the subnetwork, the aggregation switch nodes in the network optically coupled to one another via at least one switch controlled by a switch controller, each group of subnetworks of the plurality of groups of subnetworks comprising a group controller in communication with each of the aggregation switch nodes in the group of subnetworks, and the group controllers communicatively coupled to one another, the method comprising:

• at a group controller of a first group of subnetworks:
• receiving from a group controller of each other group of subnetworks, the bandwidth capacity allocation granted for the first group of subnetworks with each other group of subnetworks;
• and
• allocating bandwidth capacity between each of the subnetworks of the first group of subnetworks and the other groups of subnetworks based on the received bandwidth capacity allocation.

A system comprising:

• at least one switch;
• a switch controller configured to control the at least one switch;
• a plurality of subnetworks, a subnetwork comprising a plurality of server racks, each subnetwork having an aggregation switch node configured to control the traffic flow to and from the subnetwork, and the subnetworks communicatively coupled to one another via the at least one switch, the plurality of subnetworks arranged in groups of subnetworks;
• a plurality of group controllers, one group controller per group of subnetworks, each of the plurality of group controllers in communication with each of the aggregation switch nodes in the group, and the plurality of the group controllers communicatively coupled to one another, wherein each of the group controllers is configured to:
• monitor bandwidth demands that each subnetwork of the respective group of subnetworks has for server racks within the subnetwork and for other subnetworks in the system and communicating the bandwidth demands of the group of subnetworks with each of the other group controllers in the system;
• allocate bandwidth capacity between the group of subnetworks and the other groups of subnetworks based on the received bandwidth demands and send the other group controllers the allocated bandwidth capacity for the group of subnetworks and the other groups of subnetworks;
• and
• receive from the other group controllers, the bandwidth capacity allocation granted for the group of subnetworks and the other groups of subnetworks and allocating bandwidth capacity between each of the subnetworks of the group of subnetworks and the other groups of subnetworks based on the received bandwidth capacity allocation.

A group controller configured to control a first group of subnetworks, a subnetwork being defined as a plurality of server racks, the group controller in communication with a plurality of aggregation switch nodes, each aggregation switch node configured to control traffic flow to and from a plurality of server racks in a respective subnetwork, the group controller in communication with at least one other group controller that is configured to control at least one other group of subnetworks, the groups of subnetworks communicatively coupled to one another via at least one switch controlled by a switch controller, the group controller comprising:

• a processor;
• a computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the processor, cause the group controller to:
• monitor bandwidth demands that each subnetwork of the first group of subnetworks has for server racks in the subnetwork and subnetworks of the at least one other group of subnetworks, via the aggregation switch nodes of each subnetwork in the first group of subnetworks;
• and
• communicate the bandwidth demands for the subnetworks of the first group of subnetworks with each of the at least one other group controller.

A method of allocating bandwidth demands for a network comprising a plurality of groups of subnetworks, a subnetwork comprising a plurality of server racks, each subnetwork in a group of subnetworks comprising an aggregation node configured to control the flow of traffic to and from the plurality of server racks in the subnetwork, the aggregation switch nodes in the network optically coupled to one another via at least one switch controlled by a switch controller, each group of subnetworks of the plurality of groups of subnetworks comprising a group controller in communication with each of the aggregation switch nodes in the group of subnetworks, and the group controllers communicatively coupled to one another, the method comprising:

• the group controllers monitoring bandwidth demands that each subnetwork of the respective groups of subnetworks has for server racks within the subnetwork and for other subnetworks in the network and communicating the bandwidth demands of the groups with each of the other group controllers in the network;
• the group controllers allocating bandwidth capacity between their own group of subnetworks and the other groups of subnetworks based on the received bandwidth demands and each group controller sending the other group controllers the allocated bandwidth capacity for the group of subnetworks and the other groups of subnetworks;
• and
• each group controller receiving from the other group controllers, the bandwidth capacity allocation granted for the group of subnetworks and the other groups of subnetworks and allocating bandwidth capacity between each of the subnetworks of the group of subnetworks and the other groups of subnetworks based on the received bandwidth capacity allocation.