SGER: Cost-Effective Buffering Scheme for WDM Optical Packet Interconnects

波分复用(WDM)技术的引入和迅速发展为利用光纤在计算和通信系统中的巨大容量提供了平台。光分组交换的主要难点是如何在最小化分组丢失率的同时解决分组竞争。在该SGER项目中，探索了一种新的用于WDM光互连的分组缓存方案，该方案将光交换和电子缓存相结合。在该方案中，到达的不会引起竞争的分组被直接交换到输出光纤，其他分组被交换到共享接收器并转换成电子信号并存储在缓冲器中，直到被共享发送器发送出去。本项目的重点是探索拟议缓冲方案的可行性。通过解析建模和仿真研究了该方案的性能，并对相关的实现问题进行了研究。该项目的成果将为后续开展WDM光分组互连的研究奠定基础，为未来的计算机系统提供同时具有快速交换和大缓冲能力的高性能互连。

Recent introduction and rapid growth of wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) technology provide a platform to exploit the huge capacity of optical fiber in computing and communication systems. The main difficulty of optical packet switching is how to resolve packet contention while minimizing packet loss. In this SGER project, a novel packet buffering scheme is explored for WDM optical interconnects which combines optical switching with electronic buffering. In the proposed scheme, arrived packets that do not cause contention are switched to output fibers directly; other packets are switched to shared receivers and converted to electronic signals and will be stored in the buffer until being sent out by shared transmitters. This project focuses on exploring the feasibility of the proposed buffering scheme. The performance of the scheme is studied through analytical modeling and simulations, and several related implementation issues are also investigated. The outcome of this project will be the foundation on which subsequent research on WDM optical packet interconnects will be launched to provide high-performance interconnects that enjoy both fast switching and large buffering capacity for future computer systems.