Patent ID: 10205550

Abstract:
An optically switched network system includes an optical switch with N inputs and N outputs that connects N end-nodes and is structured to transmit N wavelengths from each of the N inputs to each of the N outputs. The system includes a virtual data plane and a virtual control plane, which both communicate through the optical switch. The virtual data plane provides any-to-all parallel connectivity for data transmissions among the N end-nodes. The N end-nodes are partitioned into two or more subsets, wherein end-nodes in a given source subset transmit data to a given destination subset using wavelengths, which are not used by end-nodes outside of the given source subset to transmit data to the same given destination subset. The virtual control plane includes two or more rings associated with the two or more subsets of end-nodes. Each ring passes through a subset of end-nodes, and is used to communicate arbitration information among arbitration logic located at each end-node in the ring.