Optical architecture and channel plan employing multi-fiber configurations for data center network switching

A system, comprising:

• at least one optical node,
• wherein the optical node includes:
• at least one first pair of optical ports;
• a first plurality of optical connections on each of the first pair of optical ports;
• at least one second pair of optical ports;
• a second plurality of optical connections on each of the second pair of optical ports,
• an electrical switch;
• a first plurality of optical receivers and optical transmitters communicably coupled between at least a portion of the first plurality of optical connections and the electrical switch;
• and
• a second plurality of optical receivers and optical transmitters communicably coupled between at least a portion of the second plurality of optical connections and the electrical switch,
• wherein, for one or both of the respective pairs of optical ports and the respective plurality of optical connections:
• the respective pair of optical ports includes a first optical port and a second optical port, the first optical port including a plurality of separate optical inputs arranged in a predetermined sequence and identified as inputs 1 to N, the second optical port including a plurality of separate optical outputs arranged in the predetermined sequence and identified as outputs 1 to N;
• the respective plurality of optical connections includes a first optical connection connected to input 1 of the first optical port, a second optical connection connected to output N of the second optical port, and a plurality of optical connection paths connected between input 2 to input N of the first optical port and output 1 to output N−1 of the second optical port, respectively;
• at least one of the optical transmitters communicably coupled between the electrical switch and the respective plurality of optical connections is operative to receive at least one first electrical signal from the electrical switch, and to provide at least one first optical signal on a specified wavelength corresponding to the at least one first electrical signal to a first selected one of the respective plurality of optical connections connected to a specified output k of the second optical port, wherein 1≦k≦N;
• and
• at least one of the optical receivers communicably coupled between the respective plurality of optical connections and the electrical switch is operative to receive at least one second optical signal on the specified wavelength from a second selected one of the plurality of optical connections connected to a specified input j of the first optical port, wherein 1≦j≦k, and wherein the at least one of the optical receivers is further operative to provide at least one second electrical signal corresponding to the at least one second optical signal to the electrical switch.

A method, comprising the steps of:

• providing at least one optical node, wherein the optical node includes:
• at least one pair of optical ports including a first optical port and a second optical port, the first optical port including a plurality of separate optical inputs arranged in a predetermined sequence and identified as inputs 1 to N, the second optical port including a plurality of separate optical outputs arranged in the predetermined sequence and identified as outputs 1 to N;
• a plurality of optical connections on each of the first optical port and the second optical port, the plurality of optical connections including a first optical connection connected to input 1 of the first optical port, a second optical connection connected to output N of the second optical port, and a plurality of optical connection paths connected between input 2 to input N of the first optical port and output 1 to output N−1 of the second optical port, respectively;
• an electrical switch;
• at least one optical transmitter;
• an optical multiplexer;
• an optical de-multiplexer;
• and
• at least one optical receiver;
• receiving, at the at least one optical transmitter, at least one first electrical signal from the switch;
• providing, by the at least one optical transmitter, at least one first optical signal on a specified wavelength corresponding to the at least one first electrical signal;
• receiving, at the optical multiplexer, the at least one first optical signal on the specified wavelength from the at least one optical transmitter;
• adding, by the optical multiplexer, the at least one first optical signal to a first selected one of the plurality of optical connections connected to a specified output k of the second optical port, wherein 1≦k≦N;
• dropping, by an optical de-multiplexer, at least one second optical signal on the specified wavelength from a second selected one of the plurality of optical connections connected to a specified input j of the first optical port, wherein 1≦j≦k;
• and
• providing, by the at least one optical receiver, at least one second electrical signal corresponding to the at least one second optical signal to the switch.