The Impact of Optics on HPC System Interconnects

Cost-effective optics will enable a new class of interconnects that use high-radix network topologies to significantly improve performance while reducing cost. Hence, this paper discusses the design targets for HPC system interconnects, setting the context in which optical technology will be considered. The impact of network topology is also discussed and the case for high-radix networks, which create the need for longer physical links in the network is also reviewed.