PFI:AIR - TT: Top of the rack ultrafast holographic optical switch for hybrid data center architecture

此PFI：AIR技术转换项目专注于转换一种新型的低功耗、高带宽、全息光交换机，该交换机将支持新的架构，改善数据中心的数据流并提高能效。这种新的全息开关非常重要，因为今天的数据中心消耗了美国5%的电力生产，随着谷歌、Facebook和亚马逊等大公司建设数英亩的数据中心以满足消费者需求，数据中心的电力需求呈指数级增长。预计全球互联网流量将继续快速增长，由于物联网等新应用，每18个月将翻一番。除非能够实施颠覆性技术，否则数据中心的能耗将继续以指数级的速度增长。建议的全息光开关将支持新的数据中心架构，这些架构可以在提高性能的同时大幅降低能耗。该项目将产生一个全息光开关原型，并对其在数据中心应用中的性能进行表征。这种全息开关具有以下独特功能：极低的功耗，支持至少1Terrabit/秒的数据速率，以及可提供大量输入和输出端口的灵活设计。与市场上现有的电子架顶式交换机相比，这些功能在能效、可扩展性、吞吐量和数据中心架构灵活性方面具有优势。该项目在将研究发现转化为商业应用的过程中解决了以下技术差距。商用混合交换技术存在端口数量有限(约300个端口)、配置时间长(10毫秒)和成本高(每个端口300美元)等问题。该方案基于将新的全息技术与活塞MOEMS(微光机电系统)系统相集成来实现开关。我们建议的系统将通过全息交换机克服现有技术的局限性，它将提供高端口数(10,000个端口)、微秒级切换时间(提高两个数量级)、大幅降低每个端口的成本(10美元/端口)，使数据中心功耗降低6倍。参与该项目的研究生将通过研讨会和讲座接受创业培训，该培训基于Steven Blank在《创业业主手册》中所述的精益创业方法。学生还将通过Cian ERC的工业咨询委员会与工业直接互动。该项目结合了亚利桑那州大学开发的全息开关技术和加州大学伯克利分校开发的硅基活塞MOEMS技术。TIPD，LLC将指导这项技术转化工作的商业化方面，从研究发现转向商业现实。

This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on translating a new low power, high bandwidth, holographic optical switch that will enable new architectures, improve data flow and increase energy efficiency in data centers. This new holographic switch is important because today's data centers consume 5% of the United States' electrical production and their power requirements are increasing exponentially as major companies such as Google, Facebook, and Amazon construct multi-acre data centers to satisfy consumer demand. The worldwide Internet traffic is forecasted to continue its rapid growth; doubling every 18 months due to new applications such as the Internet of Things. Unless a disruptive technology can be implemented, data centers' energy consumption will continue to grow at an exponential rate. The proposed holographic optical switch will enable new data center architectures that can dramatically reduce energy consumption while improving performance. The project will result in a prototype holographic optical switch and characterization of its performance in data center applications. This holographic switch has the following unique features: very low electrical power consumption, support for data rates to at least 1 Terrabit / second, and a flexible design that can provide a large number of input and output ports. These features provide advantages in term of energy efficiency, scalability, throughput, and data center architecture flexibility when compared to the existing electrical top-of-the-rack switches in the market space.This project addresses the following technology gaps as it translates from research discovery toward commercial applications. Commercial hybrid switching technology suffers from limited port count (~300 ports), long configuration time (10s of milliseconds) and high cost ($300/port). The proposal implements a switch based on integrating a novel holographic technique with a piston MOEMS (micro opto electro mechanical system) system. Our proposed system will overcome the limitations of the incumbent technology with the holographic switch which will provide high port count (10,000 ports), microsecond switching times (two orders of magnitude improvement), dramatically reduced cost per port ($10/port), enabling a 6× reduction in data center power consumption. The graduate students involved in this project will receive entrepreneurship training through seminars and lectures based upon the "Lean Startup" methodology described in "The Startup Owner's Manual" by Steven Blank. The students will also have direct interactions with industry through the CIAN ERC's Industrial Advisory Board.The project combines the holographic switching technology developed at U. Arizona with the Si-based piston MOEMS technology developed at UC Berkeley. TIPD, LLC will guide the commercialization aspects of this technology translation effort from research discovery toward commercial reality.