CAREER: Optically-Interconnected Fully-Adaptive Network Router

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9624251 Pinkston The precursor to building general-purpose teraflop computer systems is the advancement of network technology to reach much higher levels of performance. In parallel processor systems, where multiple high performance processors work cooperatively as one connected unit, performance is determined by the effective utilization of processor nodes which, predominately, depends upon communication efficiency. The backbone for communication in parallel processing environments is the interconnection network. We propose to design and implement in a hybrid GaAs/silicon chip a flexible fully-adaptive deadlock-free optical network router featuring a new packet routing algorithm universally applicable to any network topology. This proposed research serves to further advance the state-of-the-art in interconnection network technology by exploring hardware-based solutions for increasing parallel processor communication efficiency. This work leverages ofd of current trends in interconnection network router architecture and continuing advancements in optical/photonic technology. Our proposed optical router provides a flexible framework for exploring many design alternatives never before imagined due to its high degree of resource decoupling and topological independence. Interesting issues to be investigated in the building of the router include how to accurately detect deadlock, how to efficiently implement the deadlockfree recovery lane, how to implement low overhead internal and external flow control for optical interconnects, and how to integrate optical transmitters, optical receivers. and complex electronic router logic circuitry onto a single optoelectronic VLSI router chip. Interesting issues that can be further understood once the router is built include the performance and/or fault tolerance advantages of fully adaptive wormhole routing, misrouting capability, the use of the DB resource for not only recovering from potential deadlocks but also for relieving n ormal network congestion, and the use of dense high bandwidth optical I/O for fully adaptive network routers. We will systematically address these and other important issues as we go about designing, building, and experimenting with this novel network router. This research adds significantly to optical interconnect/photonic switching infrastructure. This work is pioneering in that, to our knowledge, we are the first to propose research that encompasses advanced switching, flow control, and routing functionality in optical interconnection network design. The principal investigator will lead a dedicated research team ranging in research experience consisting of undergraduate, graduate. and post-graduate collaborative researchers. Moreover, important research achievements will find use in the classroom to serve as excellent illustrations in teaching. Hence, we will demonstrate that current and next-generation interconnection network techniques such as wormhole switching, virtual channel flow, and adaptive routing are feasibly incorporated in optically-based interconnection networks. This will provide a platform on which to build optically interconnected parallel processing systems, impacting the applicability of this technology to future systems. ***