# US 2019/0245751 A1 · Network interconnect as a switch

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2019/0245751 A1
- Document ID: US20190245751A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/257,653
- Filed: 2019-01-25
- Published: 2019-08-08
- Earliest claimed: 2018-02-05
- Assignees: David I-Keong Wong
- Inventors: David I-Keong Wong
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190245751A1

## CPC

- H04L 12/4625: {Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge}
- H04L 12/44: Star or tree networks
- H04L 41/0826: for reduction of network costs (H04L41/0833 takes precedence)
- H04L 41/12: Discovery or management of network topologies
- H04L 45/122: by minimising distances, e.g. by selecting a route with minimum of number of hops
- H04L 47/125: by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
- H04L 49/1515: Non-blocking multistage, e.g. Clos
- H04Q 11/0071: {Provisions for the electrical-optical layer interface}
- H04B 10/25: Arrangements specific to fibre transmission
- H04B 10/40: Transceivers
- H04L 49/1507: {Distribute and route fabrics, e.g. sorting-routing or Batcher-Banyan}
- H04Q 11/0003: {Details}
- H04Q 11/0062: {Network aspects}
- H04Q 2011/006: {Full mesh}
- H04Q 2011/0096: {Tree}
- H04Q 2011/0098: {Mesh}
- 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)
- H04B: TRANSMISSION

## Abstract

An interconnect as a switch module (“ICAS” module) comprising n port groups, each port group comprising n−1 interfaces, and an interconnecting network implementing a full mesh topology where each port group comprising a plurality of interfaces each connects an interface of one of the other port groups, respectively. The ICAS module may be optically or electrically implemented. According to the embodiments, the ICAS module may be used to construct a stackable switching device and a multi-unit switching device, to replace a data center fabric switch, and to build a new, high-efficient, and cost-effective data center.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An interconnect as a switch (ICAS) module, comprising:
n port groups, each port group comprising n−1 interfaces; and
an interconnecting network implementing a full mesh topology, wherein each port group comprising a plurality of interfaces each connects one of the n−1 interfaces of another of the n port groups, respectively;
wherein the n−1 interfaces of the n port groups are labeled with the same indexes as those of connected n port groups; wherein an interface with index j of a port group with index i is connected to an interface with index i of one of the n port groups with index j, and wherein the interconnecting network comprises all connections between the port groups.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The ICAS module of claim 1, wherein
single-connection data between first layer switch i connected to the port group with index i and first layer switch j connected to the port group with index j is directly transmitted through the interface with index j of the port group with index i and the interface with index i of the port group with index j; and
wherein at least part of multi-connection data between first layer switch i connected to the port group with index i and first layer switch j connected to the port group with index j is transferred and transmitted through a first layer switch connected to at least another one of the n port groups with a sender index, wherein multi-connection data arriving at a destination switch will cease to be further routed and transmitted.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The ICAS module of claim 1, wherein one or more of the n port groups are configured to connect a group of uplinks of an external network.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The ICAS module of claim 1, wherein the interfaces of different ones of the n port groups are connected using optical media or electric circuit.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The ICAS module of claim 1, wherein the n port groups are optical or electric circuitry, and the interfaces are optical or electric circuit.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A stackable switching device, comprising one or more of the ICAS modules according to claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of switching devices, and a plurality of 1 U to multi-U rackmount chassis, wherein each of the ICAS modules is connected to the switching devices, such that said ICAS module interconnects at least some interfaces of at least some port groups of different switching devices to form a full mesh non-blocking interconnection, wherein interfaces of the rest of at least some port groups for interconnecting different switching devices are configured as interfaces for uplink of external network, and wherein the ICAS module and the switching devices are each packaged in a stackable rackmount chassis respectively.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The stackable switching device of claim 6, wherein the n−1 interfaces of a different one of the n port groups of the ICAS module are connected using optical media or electric circuit.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The stackable switching device of claim 6, wherein each of the n port groups of the ICAS module connects a corresponding port group of one of the switching devices respectively via an optical media or an electric circuit.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A multi-unit switching device, comprising: the ICAS module according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the ICAS modules are implemented on one or more PCB in an electric circuit manner, wherein the multi-unit switching device further comprises a plurality of switching devices, and a multi-unit rackmount chassis, wherein each of the ICAS modules is connected to the plurality of switching devices, such that the ICAS module interconnects at least some interfaces of at least some n port groups of different switching devices to form a full mesh non-blocking interconnection, wherein interfaces of the rest of at least some n port groups for interconnecting different switching devices are configured as interfaces for uplink of an external network, and wherein the ICAS modules and the switching devices are implemented on PCB as fabric cards and line cards respectively and housed in the multi-unit rackmount chassis.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The multi-unit switching device of claim 9, wherein the interfaces of a different one of the n port groups of the ICAS module are connected using an electric circuit.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The multi-unit switching device of claim 9, wherein each of the port groups of each ICAS module connects a corresponding port group of one of the plurality of switching devices via the electric circuit, and the ICAS module is implemented on the fabric card or a backplane.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

A network pod, comprising the ICAS module according to claim 1, wherein the network pod further comprises:
a plurality of first layer switching devices whose interfaces are divided into downlink interfaces, interlink interfaces and intralink interfaces, wherein the downlink interfaces are configured to receive and transmit data signals to and from a plurality of servers, wherein the interlink interfaces are configured to connect to higher layer switching devices, wherein the intralink interfaces of the first layer switching devices each is configured and grouped into one or more of the n port groups;
one or more second layer devices of the ICAS module whose interfaces are divided into intralink interfaces and uplink interfaces, wherein the intralink interfaces of the ICAS module being grouped into the n port groups to connect to the corresponding one of the n port groups of the first layer switching devices, and each port group of another one ICAS module being connected to another one of the n port group of each of the first layer switches, and the uplink interfaces are configured to connect to an external network.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The network pod of claim 12, wherein the external network with a predetermined number of the first layer switching devices working under a full mesh connection characteristics from the network with an (n−1, n) bipartite graph, wherein the network with (n−1, n) bipartite graph comprises the predetermined number of the first layer switching devices and the predetermined number minus one n−1 of the second layer fabric switches, and
wherein, the first layer switching devices and the second layer fabric switches interconnect in a fat tree topology, wherein the kth intralink interface of the first layer switches each connects one of the intralink interfaces of the second layer fabric switch k, respectively, and the pth intralink interfaces of the second layer fabric switches each connects one of the intralink interfaces of the first layer switch p, respectively.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The network pod of claim 12, wherein the intralinks are realized using an optical media or an electric circuit.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The network pod of claim 12, wherein the intralink interfaces are realized using an optical media or an electric circuit.

### Claim 16

A fanout cable transpose rack, wherein the fanout cable transpose rack supports k switches and p interlinks, wherein the fanout cable transpose rack comprises:
k groups of first fiber adapters, each of the first fiber adapter comprising m interfaces, wherein k groups of the first fiber adapters are connected to corresponding k switches through k groups of first fiber cables, wherein k groups of the first fiber adapters are also connected to an LC fiber adapter mounting panel by k groups of first fanout fiber cables, wherein each group of ┌p/m┌ first fiber adapters connect to a corresponding group of ┌p/m┌ fiber adapters of each switch by ┌p/m┌ first fiber cables, wherein each group of ┌p/m┌ first fiber adapters connects to the LC fiber adapter mounting panel by a group of ┌p/m┌ first fanout fiber cables, wherein ┌ ┌ is a ceiling function; and
p groups of second fiber adapters, each of the second fiber adapters comprising m interfaces, p groups of second fiber adapters connect p groups of second fiber cables to form p groups of interlinks, and p groups of the second fiber adapters are also connected to the LC fiber adapter mounting panel by p groups of second fanout fiber cables, wherein each group of ┌k/m┌ second fiber adapters connects to a group of ┌k/m┌ second fiber cables to form an interlink, and each group of the ┌k/m┌ second fiber adapters connects to the LC fiber adapter mounting panel by a group of ┌k/m┌ second fanout fiber cables, wherein ┌ ┌ is a ceiling function;
wherein the LC fiber adapter mounting panel, the k groups of first fanout fiber cables and the p groups of second fanout fiber cables are cross-connected on the LC fiber adapter mounting panel, through cross-connection, the connections from the k switches are grouped into p interlinks, each interlink containing one connection from each of the k switches, with a total of k connections per interlink.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

A spine plane, comprising the fanout cable transpose rack according to claim 16, further comprising a plurality of third layer switching devices, wherein the plurality of third layer switching devices comprises a plurality of stackable switching devices, wherein the spine plane further comprises a plurality of multi-unit switching devices,
wherein the fanout cable transpose rack connects to the third layer switching devices through a plurality of fiber cables, and the fanout cable transpose rack has a plurality of interlinks to connect to network pods, wherein connections from the plurality of third layer switching devices are grouped into the plurality of interlinks through the fanout cable transpose rack, each interlink containing one connection from each of the third layer switching devices, with each interlink having connections equal to the number of the third layer devices.

### Claim 18 (depends on 12)

A data center network, comprising a plurality of network pods according to claim 12, further comprising a plurality of spine planes,
wherein the plurality of networks pods comprises first layer switches and second layer devices, wherein the plurality of spine planes comprises third layer spine switches;
wherein the spine planes and network pods are interconnected through interlinks; wherein interlinks k of the network pods each connects one of the interlinks of a kth spine plane, respectively, and wherein the pth interlinks of the spine planes each connects one of the interlinks of the network pod, respectively; a plurality of downlinks to receive and transmit data signals to and from a plurality of servers;
one or more edge pods comprising edge switching devices, edge pods and spine planes are interconnected through interlinks; wherein the kth interlinks of the edge pods each connects one of interlinks of a spine plane k, respectively, the pth interlinks of the spine planes each connects one of interlinks of an edge pod p, respectively; wherein the edge switching devices provide a plurality of uplinks,
wherein the plurality of uplinks comprises at least one of the followings:
a plurality of interfaces for uplink provided by the spine plane;
a plurality of interfaces for uplink provided by the network pod; and
a plurality of interface for uplink provided by one or more of the edge switches, wherein the one or more of the edge switches, configured to connect Internet or connect another data center network with similar structure, replace the network pods.