Multi-chassis router with multiplexed optical interconnects
AssigneeJuniper Networks, Inc.
InventorPradeep Sindhu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multi-chassis network device includes a plurality of nodes that operate as a single device within the network and a switch fabric that forwards data plane packets between the plurality of nodes. The switch fabric includes a set of multiplexed optical interconnects coupling the nodes. For example, a multi-chassis router includes a plurality of routing nodes that operate as a single router within a network and a switch fabric that forwards packets between the plurality of routing nodes. The switch fabric includes at least one multiplexed optical interconnect coupling the routing nodes. The nodes of the multi-chassis router may direct portions of the optical signal over the multiplexed optical interconnect to different each other using wave-division multiplexing.
Claims26
A multi-chassis router comprising:
- a plurality of routing nodes that operate as a single router within a network;
- and
- a switch fabric that forwards packets between the plurality of routing nodes,
- wherein the switch fabric includes at least one multiplexed optical interconnect coupling the routing nodes,
- wherein the switch fabric is a multi-stage switch fabric and the multiplexed optical interconnect provides a connection between at least two stages in the multi-stage switch fabric, and
- wherein each of the plurality of routing nodes comprises an optical emitter that emits a multiplexed optical signal for forwarding packets from a first stage of the switch fabric at a transmitting one of the routing nodes to a second stage of the switch fabric at the other routing nodes.
A fiber-optic cable for connecting a plurality of routing nodes in a multi-chassis router comprising:
- a cable input to receive an optical signal from an optical emitter of a first routing node, wherein the optical emitter emits a multiplexed optical signal for forwarding packets from a first stage of a switch fabric of the multi-chassis router to a second stage of the switch fabric at the remaining routing nodes of the plurality of routing nodes;
- and
- a plurality of optical taps to output a portion of the optical signal to each of the remaining routing nodes,
- wherein the plurality of optical taps divide an optical power of the optical signal substantially equally among the remaining routing nodes.
A method comprising:
- receiving a packet at one of a plurality of routing nodes of a multi-chassis router, the multi-chassis routing including a multi-stage switch fabric distributed across the routing nodes;
- selecting a wavelength based on information within the packet, wherein the wavelength corresponds to one of the routing nodes within the multi-chassis router;
- and
- transmitting the packet via an optical signal having the selected wavelength from a portion of a first stage of the multi-stage switch fabric at a first one of the routing nodes of the multi-chassis router to a portion of a second stage of the multi-stage switch fabric at a second one of the routing nodes via a switch fabric having an optical interconnect,
- wherein each of the plurality of routing nodes comprises an optical emitter that emits a multiplexed optical signal for forwarding packets from the first stage of the switch fabric to the second stage of the switch fabric.
A system comprising:
- a plurality of network devices coupled to a network;
- and
- a multi-chassis network device connecting the plurality of network devices on the network, wherein the multi-chassis network device includes:
- a plurality of nodes that operate as a single device within the network, and
- a multi-stage switch fabric having a plurality of stages that forward data plane packets between the plurality of nodes, wherein the switch fabric includes a set of multiplexed optical interconnects coupling the plurality of stages of the switch fabric,
- wherein each of the plurality of nodes comprises an optical emitter that emits a multiplexed optical signal for forwarding packets from a first stage of the switch fabric to a second stage of the switch fabric.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.