Patent ID: 8358932

Claim:
A data center network comprising: A) an all-optical core network comprising a plurality of separate all-optical networks, B) a plurality of clusters of interconnected computer network equipment, each cluster of said plurality of interconnected computer network equipment defining a computer network cluster, each cluster of said computer network clusters comprising: i) a plurality of sets of data center equipment, each set of said plurality of sets of data center equipment defining a network node; ii) a circuit module comprising: a) a plurality of network interface units each unit adapted to provide a network interface with one of said network nodes within said cluster, b) a memory bank defining: 1) a first plurality of memory circuit queues adapted to store information scheduled to be transmitted to said plurality of nodes within said cluster and 2) a second plurality of memory circuit queues adapted to store information scheduled to be processed within said circuit module, c) a plurality of optical transceivers, each transceiver in said plurality of transceiver adapted to receive and transmit optical signals and to; 1) produce such optical signals based on electrical signals communicated from said second memory circuit queue through an electrical data interface and 2) produce electrical signals based on optical signals received by said circuit module from one of said all-optical networks within said core network, d) a lambda port module comprising: 1) a plurality of optical mux-demux units defining a number of mux-demux units and an equal number of lambda ports, each of said lambda ports adapted to provide interface communication between said mux-demux units and said second memory bank via one of said plurality of optical transceivers, 2) a plurality of optical couplers and a plurality of optical waveguides, each of said plurality of optical couplers being connected to each of said plurality of mux-demux units via a portion of said plurality of optical waveguides, 3) a plurality of optical phi-ports, each of said plurality being adapted to provide communication between said circuit module via said optical couplers and each of said all-optical networks in said all-optical core network, e) a circuit module controller adapted to provide computer control to said memory bank, each transceiver in said plurality of transceivers and said lambda port module, C) a plurality of optical waveguides connecting every phi port of each circuit module with each phi port of every other circuit module in the data center; and D) a network controller adapted to control via said circuit module controller said memory bank and said lambda port module in each circuit module in the data center to create logic communication circuits between any circuit module in the data center network and any other circuit in the data center network.