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

这个PFI: AIR技术翻译项目专注于翻译一种新的低功耗，高带宽，全息光开关，这将使新的架构，改善数据流和提高数据中心的能源效率。这种新的全息开关很重要，因为今天的数据中心消耗了美国5%的电力生产，而且随着b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的需求，它们的电力需求正呈指数级增长。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个月翻一番。除非一项颠覆性的技术得以实施，否则数据中心的能源消耗将继续以指数级的速度增长。提出的全息光开关将使新的数据中心架构能够在提高性能的同时显着降低能耗。该项目将产生一个全息光开关的原型，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的特点：非常低的功耗，支持至少1兆位/秒的数据速率，以及灵活的设计，可以提供大量的输入和输出端口。与市场上现有的顶级交换机相比，这些特性在能效、可扩展性、吞吐量和数据中心架构灵活性方面具有优势。该项目解决了以下技术差距，因为它从研究发现转化为商业应用。商用混合交换技术的缺点是端口数量有限（约300个端口），配置时间长（10毫秒），成本高（300美元/端口）。该方案将一种新型全息技术与活塞式微机电系统相结合，实现了一种开关系统。我们提出的系统将克服现有技术的局限性，全息开关将提供高端口数（10,000端口），微秒切换时间（两个数量级的改进），显着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，培训的基础是Steven Blank在《The Startup Owner’s Manual》中描述的“精益创业”方法。学生还将通过西安伦理委员会的工业顾问委员会与工业界直接互动。该项目结合了亚利桑那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将指导这项技术从研究发现到商业现实的商业化方面的翻译工作。

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.