Multidimensional torus shuffle box

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10088643-B1
Application number	US-201715635315-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 28, 2017
Priority date	Jun 28, 2017
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure include an optical shuffle box. The optical shuffle box may include a set of optical connector ports and a set of optical fiber pigtails. Each optical fiber pigtail may have a first end and a second end. The second end of each optical fiber pigtail may include an optical connector. Each optical connector port may be communicatively coupled to the first end of two or more optical fiber pigtails.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shuffle box comprising:
a set of optical connector ports; and
a set of optical fiber pigtails, each optical pigtail having a first end and a second end, wherein the second end includes an optical connector,
wherein each optical connector port is communicatively coupled to the first end of two or more optical fiber pigtails.

2. The shuffle box of claim 1 , wherein each optical fiber pigtail includes a plurality of optical fiber pairs, and wherein each optical connector port is communicatively coupled to a portion of the plurality of optical fiber pairs within the two or more optical fiber pigtails.

3. The shuffle box of claim 2 , wherein at least two optical fiber pigtails share one or more optical fiber pairs.

4. The shuffle box of claim 1 , wherein the set of optical connector ports includes a first subset of optical connector ports, a second subset of optical connector ports, and a third subset of optical connector ports, the first subset of optical connector ports corresponding to a first direction in a 3D torus fabric, the second subset of optical connector ports corresponding to a second direction in the 3D torus fabric, and the third subset of optical connector ports corresponding to a third direction in the 3D torus fabric,
wherein each optical fiber pigtail is connected to at least one optical connector port of the first subset of optical connector ports, and to at least one optical connector port of the second subset of optical connector ports.

5. A system comprising:
a first shuffle box; and
a second shuffle box, wherein each of the first and second shuffle boxes includes:
a set of optical connector ports; and
a set of optical fiber pigtails, each optical pigtail having a first end and a second end, wherein the second end includes an optical connector,
wherein each optical connector port is communicatively coupled to the first end of two or more optical fiber pigtails,

wherein the first shuffle box is communicatively coupled to the second shuffle box using a fiber optical cable.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the fiber optical cable is connected to a first optical connector port of the first shuffle box at one end, and to a first optical connector port of the second shuffle box at an opposite end.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the fiber optical cable is a multi-fiber push on (MPO) cable.

8. The system of claim 5 , the system further comprising:
two or more nodes, the two or more nodes being communicatively coupled to the first shuffle box.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein each of the two or more nodes is connected to the first shuffle box using two or more pigtails, the optical connectors of the two or more pigtails being connected to each of the two or more nodes.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the two or more nodes include at least one compute node and at least one storage node.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the two or more nodes include a management entity, the management entity being configured to manage the at least one compute node.

12. The system of claim 5 , wherein each optical fiber pigtail includes a plurality of optical fiber pairs, and wherein each optical connector port is communicatively coupled to a portion of the plurality of optical fiber pairs within the two or more optical fiber pigtails.

13. The system of claim 5 , wherein at least two optical fiber pigtails share one or more optical fiber pairs.

14. The system of claim 5 , the system further comprising:
a first set of nodes; and
a second set of nodes,
wherein each node of the first set of nodes is communicatively coupled with the first shuffle box using two or more optical fiber pigtails,
wherein each node of the second set of nodes is communicatively coupled with the second shuffle box using two or more optical fiber pigtails, and
wherein the fiber optical cable is connected to a first optical connector port of the first shuffle box at one end, and to a first optical connector port of the second shuffle box at an opposite end.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the first shuffle box and the second shuffle box are connected such that the first and second sets of nodes are collectively arranged in a 3D torus topology.

16. A system comprising:
a plurality of shuffle boxes, each shuffle box having:
a set of optical connector ports;
a set of optical fiber pigtails, each optical fiber pigtail having a bundle of fibers at one end and an optical connector at an opposite end, each optical fiber pigtail being attached to one or more optical connector ports of the set of optical connector ports,

wherein each shuffle box is communicatively coupled with a plurality of nodes, each node being connected to a respective shuffle box using two or more optical fiber pigtails;
wherein each shuffle box is communicatively coupled to six other shuffle boxes.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of shuffle boxes include a first shuffle box and a second shuffle box,
wherein the first shuffle box is communicatively coupled to the second shuffle box using two or more optical fiber cables.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein a first optical fiber cable connects a first optical connector port on the first shuffle box to a first optical connector port on the second shuffle box, and wherein a second optical fiber cable connects a second optical connector port on the first shuffle box to a second optical connector port on the second shuffle box.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of shuffle boxes are connected in a 3D torus topology.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Allen-Ware Malcolm S
• Clarke Kevin
• Considine John
• Keller Thomas W
• Kuchta Daniel M
• Wright David D

Classifications

• G02B6/3893

  Push-pull type, e.g. snap-in, push-on · CPC title

• G02B6/3897

  Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards (G02B6/44528 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/3885

  Multicore or multichannel optical connectors, i.e. one single ferrule containing more than one fibre, e.g. ribbon type (optical ribbon cable G02B6/4403, G02B6/448) · CPC title

• G02B6/4446 Primary

  Cable boxes, e.g. splicing boxes with two or more multi fibre cables · CPC title

• G02B6/44526

  Panels or rackmounts covering a whole width of the frame or rack · CPC title