# US 2018/0027312 A1 · Technologies for switching network traffic in a data center

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- Number: US 2018/0027312 A1
- Document ID: US20180027312A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/395,203
- Filed: 2016-12-30
- Published: 2018-01-25
- Earliest claimed: 2016-07-22
- Assignees: Intel Corporation
- Applicants: Intel Corporation
- Inventors: Matthew Adiletta; Aaron Gorius; Myles Wilde; Michael Crocker
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180027312A1

## CPC

- G06F 3/061: {Improving I/O performance}
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- G02B 6/3893: {Push-pull type, e.g. snap-in, push-on}
- G02B 6/3897: {Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards (G02B6/44528 takes precedence)}
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- G06F 13/4022: {using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network (G06F13/4009 takes precedence)}
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- H04L 43/0817: by checking functioning
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- H04L 49/357: {Fibre channel switches}
- H04L 49/45: Arrangements for providing or supporting expansion
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- G06F 13/161: {with latency improvement}
- G06F 13/1694: {Configuration of memory controller to different memory types}
- G06F 13/42: Bus transfer protocol, e.g. handshake; Synchronisation
- G06F 13/4282: {on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus (on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247)}
- G06F 15/8061: {Details on data memory access}
- G06F 2209/483: Multiproc
- G06F 2209/5019: Workload prediction
- G06F 2209/5022: Workload threshold
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- G06F 2212/1024: Latency reduction
- G06F 2212/1041: Resource optimization
- G06F 2212/1044: Space efficiency improvement
- G06F 2212/152: Virtualized environment, e.g. logically partitioned system
- G06F 2212/202: Non-volatile memory
- G06F 2212/401: Compressed data
- G06F 2212/402: Encrypted data
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- G07C 5/008: {communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C)}
- G08C 2200/00: Transmission systems for measured values, control or similar signals
- G11C 5/06: Arrangements for interconnecting storage elements electrically, e.g. by wiring
- H03M 7/30: Compression (speech analysis-synthesis for redundancy reduction G10L19/00; for image communication H04N); Expansion; Suppression of unnecessary data, e.g. redundancy reduction
- H03M 7/40: Conversion to or from variable length codes, e.g. Shannon-Fano code, Huffman code, Morse code
- H03M 7/4031: {Fixed length to variable length coding}
- H03M 7/6005: {Decoder aspects}
- H03M 7/6023: {Parallelization}
- H04B 10/25: Arrangements specific to fibre transmission
- H04J 14/00: Optical multiplex systems
- H04L 9/0643: {Hash functions, e.g. MD5, SHA, HMAC or f9 MAC}
- H04L 9/14: using a plurality of keys or algorithms
- H04L 9/3247: {involving digital signatures}
- H04L 9/3263: {involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements (network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823)}
- H04L 12/2809: {indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network (monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51)}
- H04L 41/024: {using relational databases for representation of network management data, e.g. managing via structured query language [SQL]}
- H04L 41/046: comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
- H04L 41/0813: characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
- H04L 41/082: the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
- H04L 41/12: Discovery or management of network topologies
- H04L 41/149: for prediction of maintenance
- H04L 41/40: using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
- H04L 41/5019: Ensuring fulfilment of SLA
- H04L 43/065: related to network devices
- H04L 43/16: Threshold monitoring
- H04L 45/02: Topology update or discovery
- H04L 45/52: Multiprotocol routers
- H04L 47/24: Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
- H04L 47/38: by adapting coding or compression rate
- H04L 47/765: triggered by the end-points
- H04L 47/782: {Hierarchical allocation of resources, e.g. involving a hierarchy of local and centralised entities}
- H04L 47/805: {QOS or priority aware}
- H04L 47/82: {Miscellaneous aspects}
- H04L 49/15: Interconnection of switching modules
- H04L 49/555: {Error detection}
- H04L 61/00: Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
- H04L 67/10: in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46)
- H04L 67/1004: Server selection for load balancing
- H04L 67/1008: based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload (monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30)
- H04L 67/1012: based on compliance of requirements or conditions with available server resources
- H04L 67/1014: based on the content of a request
- H04L 67/1029: using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer
- H04L 67/1034: Reaction to server failures by a load balancer
- H04L 67/1097: for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
- H04L 67/12: specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
- H04L 67/34: {involving the movement of software or configuration parameters (network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416)}
- H04L 67/51: Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
- H04Q 1/04: Frames or mounting racks for selector switches; Accessories therefor, e.g. frame cover
- H04Q 11/00: Selecting arrangements for multiplex systems (multiplex systems H04J)
- H04Q 11/0005: {Switch and router aspects}
- H04Q 11/0062: {Network aspects}
- H04Q 11/0071: {Provisions for the electrical-optical layer interface}
- H04Q 2011/0037: {Operation}
- H04Q 2011/0041: {Optical control}
- H04Q 2011/0052: {Interconnection of switches}
- H04Q 2011/0073: {Provisions for forwarding or routing, e.g. lookup tables}
- H04Q 2011/0079: {Operation or maintenance aspects}
- H04Q 2011/0086: {Network resource allocation, dimensioning or optimisation}
- H04Q 2213/13523: bandwidth management, e.g. capacity management
- H04Q 2213/13527: protocols - X.25, TCAP etc.
- H04W 4/023: {using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds}
- H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
- H05K 1/0203: {Cooling of mounted components (H05K1/0272 takes precedence)}
- H05K 1/181: associated with surface mounted components
- H05K 5/0204: {Mounting supporting structures on the outside of casings}
- H05K 7/1418: {Card guides, e.g. grooves (H05K7/1425 takes precedence)}
- H05K 7/1421: {Drawers for printed circuit boards}
- H05K 7/1422: {Printed circuit boards receptacles, e.g. stacked structures, electronic circuit modules or box like frames}
- H05K 7/1447: {External wirings; Wiring ducts; Laying cables}
- H05K 7/1461: {Slidable card holders; Card stiffeners; Control or display means therefor}
- H05K 7/1485: {Servers; Data center rooms, e.g. 19-inch computer racks}
- H05K 7/1487: {Blade assemblies, e.g. blade cases or inner arrangements within a blade}
- H05K 7/1489: {characterized by the mounting of blades therein, e.g. brackets, rails, trays (H05K7/1491 takes precedence)}
- H05K 7/1491: {having cable management arrangements (management of optical cables G02B6/444; in telecommunication cabinets H04Q1/06)}
- H05K 7/1492: {having electrical distribution arrangements, e.g. power supply or data communications}
- H05K 7/1498: {Resource management, Optimisation arrangements, e.g. configuration, identification, tracking, physical location (thermal management H05K7/20836)}
- H05K 7/2039: {characterised by the heat transfer by conduction from the heat generating element to a dissipating body (arrangements for increasing/decreasing heat-transfer, e.g. fins details, F28F13/00)}
- H05K 7/20709: {for server racks or cabinets; for data centers, e.g. 19-inch computer racks}
- H05K 7/20727: {within server blades for removing heat from heat source}
- H05K 7/20736: {within cabinets for removing heat from server blades}
- H05K 7/20745: {within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. by air conditioning device}
- H05K 7/20836: {Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control}
- H05K 13/0486: {Replacement and removal of components}
- H05K 2201/066: Heatsink mounted on the surface of the printed circuit board [PCB]
- H05K 2201/10121: Optical component, e.g. opto-electronic component
- H05K 2201/10159: Memory
- H05K 2201/10189: Non-printed connector
- Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
- Y02P 90/30: Computing systems specially adapted for manufacturing
- Y04S 10/50: Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications
- Y04S 10/52: Outage or fault management, e.g. fault detection or location
- Y10S 901/01: Mobile robot
- Y10S 901/30: End effector
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G08C: TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILAR SIGNALS (fluid pressure transmitting systems F15B; mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member into a different variable G01D5/00; mechanical control systems G05G)
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)
- H03M: CODING; DECODING; CODE CONVERSION IN GENERAL (using fluidic means F15C4/00; optical analogue/digital converters G02F7/00; coding, decoding or code conversion, specially adapted for particular applications, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. G01D, G01R, G06F, G06T, G09G, G10L, G11B, G11C, H04B, H04L, H04M, H04N; ciphering or deciphering for cryptography or other purposes involving the need for secrecy G09C)
- H04B: TRANSMISSION
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04Q: SELECTING (switches, relays, selectors H01H; wireless communication networks H04W)
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50})
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- 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)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

Technologies for switching network traffic include a network switch. The network switch includes one or more processors and communication circuitry coupled to the one or more processors. The communication circuity is capable of switching network traffic of multiple link layer protocols. Additionally, the network switch includes one or more memory devices storing instructions that, when executed, cause the network switch to receive, with the communication circuitry through an optical connection, network traffic to be forwarded, and determine a link layer protocol of the received network traffic. The instructions additionally cause the network switch to forward the network traffic as a function of the determined link layer protocol. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A network switch comprising:
one or more processors;
communication circuitry coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the communication circuitry is to assist the one or more processors to switch network traffic of multiple link layer protocols;
one or more memory devices having stored therein a plurality of instructions that, when executed, cause the network switch to:
receive, with the communication circuitry through an optical connection, network traffic to be forwarded;
determine a link layer protocol of the received network traffic, wherein the received network traffic is formatted according to one of the multiple link layer protocols; and
forward the network traffic as a function of the determined link layer protocol to a destination network device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The network switch of claim 1, wherein to receive the network traffic comprises to receive network traffic through an optical connection that provides one fourth of a total bandwidth of a link.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The network switch of claim 1, wherein to receive the network traffic comprises to receive the network traffic from a sled coupled to the optical connection.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The network switch of claim 3, wherein to receive the network traffic from a sled comprises to receive the network traffic from at least one of a compute sled that includes one or more processors, a storage sled that includes one or more data storage devices, an accelerator sled that includes one or more co-processors or field programmable gate arrays, or a memory sled that includes one or more memory devices.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The network switch of claim 1, wherein to receive the network traffic comprises to receive the network traffic from another network switch.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The network switch of claim 5, wherein to receive the network traffic from another network switch comprises to receive the network traffic from a leaf switch or a spine switch in a leaf-spine network architecture.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The network switch of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the network switch to forward traffic of two or more different link layer protocols.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The network switch of claim 1, wherein to determine a link layer protocol of the received network traffic comprises to determine whether the link layer protocol is an Ethernet protocol, a high performance computing (HPC) protocol, or other specialized communications protocol.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The network switch of claim 8, wherein to forward the network traffic as a function of the determined link layer protocol comprises to determine a destination address of the network traffic as a function of the determined link layer protocol.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The network switch of claim 1, wherein to forward the network traffic comprises to forward, with the communication circuitry, the network traffic through another optical connection to one of a sled or another network switch.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The network switch of claim 1, wherein to forward the network traffic comprises to forward the network traffic to one of a leaf switch or a spine switch in a leaf-spine network architecture.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The network switch of claim 1, wherein to forward the network traffic comprises to forward the network traffic through an optical connection that provides one fourth of a total bandwidth of a link.

### Claim 13

One or more machine-readable storage media comprising a plurality of instructions stored thereon that, in response to being executed, cause a network switch to:
receive, with communication circuitry through an optical connection, network traffic to be forwarded;
determine a link layer protocol of the received network traffic, wherein the received network traffic is formatted according to one of multiple link layer protocols; and
forward the network traffic as a function of the determined link layer protocol to a destination network device.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The one or more machine-readable storage media switch of claim 13, wherein to receive the network traffic comprises to receive network traffic through an optical connection that provides one fourth of a total bandwidth of a link.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 13, wherein to receive the network traffic comprises to receive the network traffic from a sled coupled to the optical connection.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein to receive the network traffic from a sled comprises to receive the network traffic from at least one of a compute sled that includes one or more processors, a storage sled that includes one or more data storage devices, an accelerator sled that includes one or more co-processors or field programmable gate arrays, or a memory sled that includes one or more memory devices.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 13, wherein to receive the network traffic comprises to receive the network traffic from another network switch.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 17, wherein to receive the network traffic from another network switch comprises to receive the network traffic from a leaf switch or a spine switch in a leaf-spine network architecture.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 13, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the network switch to forward traffic of two or more different link layer protocols.

### Claim 20 (depends on 13)

The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 13, wherein to determine a link layer protocol of the received network traffic comprises to determine whether the link layer protocol is an Ethernet protocol, a high performance computing (HPC) protocol, or other specialized communications protocol.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 20, wherein to forward the network traffic as a function of the determined link layer protocol comprises to determine a destination address of the network traffic as a function of the determined link layer protocol.

### Claim 22 (depends on 13)

The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 13, wherein to forward the network traffic comprises to forward, with the communication circuitry, the network traffic through another optical connection to one of a sled or another network switch.

### Claim 23 (depends on 13)

The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 13, wherein to forward the network traffic comprises to forward the network traffic to one of a leaf switch or a spine switch in a leaf-spine network architecture.

### Claim 24 (depends on 13)

The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 13, wherein to forward the network traffic comprises to forward the network traffic through an optical connection that provides one fourth of a total bandwidth of a link.

### Claim 25

A network switch comprising:
circuitry for receiving, through an optical connection, network traffic to be forwarded;
means for determining a link layer protocol of the received network traffic, wherein the received network traffic is formatted as a function of one of the multiple link layer protocols; and
means for forwarding the network traffic as a function of the determined link layer protocol.

### Claim 26

A method for switching network traffic comprising:
receiving, by a network switch through an optical connection, network traffic to be forwarded;
determining, by the network switch, a link layer protocol of the received network traffic, wherein the determined link layer protocol is one of multiple link layer protocols supported by the switch; and
forwarding, by the network switch, the network traffic as a function of the determined link layer protocol to a destination network device.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The method of claim 26, wherein receiving the network traffic comprises receiving network traffic through an optical connection that provides one fourth of a total bandwidth of a link.

### Claim 28 (depends on 26)

The method of claim 26, wherein receiving the network traffic comprises receiving the network traffic from a sled coupled to the optical connection.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The method of claim 28, wherein receiving the network traffic from a sled comprises receiving the network traffic from at least one of a compute sled that includes one or more processors, a storage sled that includes one or more data storage devices, an accelerator sled that includes one or more co-processors or field programmable gate arrays, or a memory sled that includes one or more memory devices.

### Claim 30 (depends on 26)

The method of claim 26, wherein receiving the network traffic comprises receiving the network traffic from another network switch.