Energy efficient data center network based on a flexible bandwidth MIMO OFDM optical interconnect

Next generation data centers will have to face an increased amount of network traffic due to emerging applications such as cloud computing. Processing larger data volume leads to higher energy consumption, which in turn causes higher operation expense. Optical interconnects have gained attention recently as a promising solution due to its large bandwidth and high energy efficiency compared to the current networks based on commodity electrical switches. In this paper, we evaluate the energy efficiency of a novel data center network architecture based on optical multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) technology. By utilizing passive optical switch (cyclic arrayed waveguide grating) and parallel signal detection technology to detect multiple optical channels simultaneously with a single photodetector, this architecture offers high energy efficiency. The comparison with a reference design based on commodity electrical switches shows that the proposed architecture can reduce the power consumption and operation cost significantly while providing higher throughput.