Abstract: A data center fabric includes a plurality of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), each FPGA interconnected by a plurality of links with other FPGAs, a plurality of servers in a data center, and physical network functions associated with the data center, wherein the plurality of FPGAs form a virtual fabric for switching between the FPGAs, the plurality of servers, and the physical network functions, and wherein the virtual fabric is arranged in a compound graph and a flat network with each FPGA being a node and a diameter of the compound graph and the flat network is indicative of a maximum number of hops for a packet through the virtual fabric.

Abstract: A data center fabric includes a plurality of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), each FPGA interconnected by a plurality of links with other FPGAs, a plurality of servers in a data center, and physical network functions associated with the data center, wherein the plurality of FPGAs form a virtual fabric for switching between the FPGAs, the plurality of servers, and the physical network functions, and wherein the virtual fabric is arranged in a compound graph and a flat network with each FPGA being a node and a diameter of the compound graph and the flat network is indicative of a maximum number of hops for a packet through the virtual fabric.

Abstract: A method, a controller, and an optical network element are configured to perform steps of monitoring one or more optical links each formed by optical transceivers which are configured to provide variable capacity via a plurality of modulation formats; based on the monitoring, causing corresponding optical transceivers for the one or more optical links to operate at a first modulation format different from a second modulation format providing excess capacity; and mapping the excess capacity to bandwidth useable by one or more services managed by the one or more of the management system, the management plane, and the control plane.

Abstract: A cross-point switch system forming an adaptive communication network between a plurality of switches includes a plurality of ports connected to the plurality of switches, wherein the plurality of switches are connected to one another via a Port Aggregation Group (PAG) comprising multiple ports with a same set of endpoints between two switches; and a cross-point switch fabric configured to connect the plurality of ports between one another, wherein the cross-point switch fabric is configured to rearrange bandwidth in a PAG due to congestion thereon without packet loss.

Abstract: A data center utilizing an architecture minimizing Internet Protocol (IP) routing therein includes one or more service edge network elements located in the data center, wherein a sub-IP network communicatively couples the one or more service edge network elements to one or more customer edge network elements located at or near demarcation points between a customer edge network and a service provider network, wherein the one or more customer edge network elements and the one or more service edge network elements are configured to provide direct user access to the data center for a plurality of users; and a control system communicatively coupled to the one or more service edge network elements and the sub-IP network, wherein the control system is configured to control resources on the sub-IP network and the data center for the plurality of users.

Abstract: A method, a controller, and an optical network element are configured to perform steps of monitoring one or more optical links each formed by optical transceivers which are configured to provide variable capacity via a plurality of modulation formats; based on the monitoring, causing corresponding optical transceivers for the one or more optical links to operate at a first modulation format different from a second modulation format providing excess capacity; and mapping the excess capacity to bandwidth useable by one or more services managed by the one or more of the management system, the management plane, and the control plane.

Abstract: A system for providing optical connections that may include an optical grating structure and an optical waveguide coupled to the optical grating structure. The optical grating structure may be configured to receive an optical wave, through an interposer, from an optical source. The optical grating structure may be configured to transform the optical wave into a predetermined electromagnetic propagation mode.

Abstract: A method, a network element, and a network include determining excess margin relative to margin needed to ensure performance at a nominal guaranteed rate associated with a flexible optical modem configured to communicate over an optical link; causing the flexible optical modem to consume most or all of the excess margin, wherein the capacity increased above the nominally guaranteed rate includes excess capacity; and mapping the excess capacity to one or more logical interfaces for use by a management system, management plane, and/or control plane. The logical interfaces can advantageously be used by the management system, management plane, and/or control plane as one of restoration bandwidths or short-lived bandwidth-on-demand (BOD) connections, such as sub-network connections (SNCs) or label switched paths (LSPs).

Abstract: An electrical cross-point switch N inputs, each at least 10 Gbps, connected to input transmission lines; M outputs, each at least 10 Gbps, connected to output transmission lines; at least two Radio Frequency (RF) Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switches selectively interconnecting each input transmission line and each output transmission line; and control and addressing circuitry configured to selectively control interconnection of each input transmission line and each output transmission line via the at least two RF MEMS switches. The at least two RF MEMS switches can be embedded in each input transmission line and each output transmission line. The input transmission lines and the output transmission lines can each be partially shielded microwave transmission lines.

Abstract: A high port count switching module includes a plurality of switching circuits disposed on a glass interposer, wherein the plurality of switching circuits each include cross-point switches configured to perform switching at a full signal rate; and a plurality of optical transceivers disposed on the glass interposer and communicatively coupled to the plurality of switching circuits. The glass interposer has i) a low dielectric loss, relative to a silicon, organic, or ceramic interposer, to allow wideband data transmission, ii) a smooth surface, resulting in smooth metal traces to minimize high-frequency skin effect loss, iii) a coefficient of thermal expansion that is matched to the plurality of switching circuits to minimize stresses, and iv) thermal isolation among the plurality of switching circuits due to low thermal conductivity of glass.

Abstract: A high capacity node includes a plurality of receiver sections and a plurality of transmitter sections; and an electrical switching fabric between the plurality of receiver sections and the plurality of transmitter sections, wherein each of the plurality of receiver sections and the plurality of transmitter sections interface the electrical switching fabric at a full signal level and the electrical switching fabric is configured to perform flow switching on the full signal level between respective receiver sections and transmitter sections, and wherein the plurality of receiver sections, the plurality of transmitter sections, and one or more stages of the electrical switching fabric are implemented in one or more optoelectronic integrated circuits.

Abstract: A Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based N×M cross-point switch, a MEMS-based system, and a method provide MEMS-based cross-point electrical switching for a Layer 0 flow-based switch. The N×M cross-point switch includes N inputs each at least 10 Gbps, M output each at least 10 Gbps, a plurality of Radio Frequency (RF) MEMS switches selectively interconnecting the N inputs to the M outputs; and control and addressing circuitry to selectively control the plurality of RF MEMS switches to switch each of the N inputs to a corresponding output of the M outputs. The systems and methods provide an electrical switching fabric for flow-based switching of wavelengths that can be part of a Reconfigurable Electrical Add/Drop Multiplexer (READM) with similar functionality as a ROADM in the electronic domain.

Abstract: A high capacity node includes a plurality of transceivers each with a transmitter configured to support a wavelength within a full transparent window of one or more optical fibers; and one or more optical amplifiers covering the full transparent window, wherein the one or more optical amplifiers comprise one of (i) a single ultra-wideband amplifier covering the full transparent window and (ii) a plurality of amplifiers each supporting a different band of the full transparent window.

Abstract: A system for providing optical connections that may include an optical grating structure and an optical waveguide coupled to the optical grating structure. The optical grating structure may be configured to receive an optical wave, through an interposer, from an optical source. The optical grating structure may be configured to transform the optical wave into a predetermined electromagnetic propagation mode.

Abstract: A system for providing optical connections that may include an optical grating structure and an optical waveguide coupled to the optical grating structure. The optical grating structure may be configured to receive an optical wave, through an interposer, from an optical source. The optical grating structure may be configured to transform the optical wave into a predetermined electromagnetic propagation mode.

Abstract: A concatenated Forward Error Correction (FEC) code method, at an intermediate point, includes receiving, from an ingress point, a signal that is fully encoded with a concatenated FEC code, wherein the concatenated FEC code includes at least an inner code and an outer code; partially decoding the signal by decoding the inner code at the intermediate point; and transmitting the partially decoded signal towards an egress point where the partially decoded signal is fully decoded.

Abstract: A high-speed 100G optical transceiver, such as for InfiniBand and Ethernet, with associated mapping to frame various different protocols. The optical transceiver utilizes an architecture which relies on standards-compliant (i.e., multi-sourced) physical client interfaces. These client interfaces are back-ended with flexible, programmable Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) modules to accomplish either InfiniBand or Ethernet protocol control, processing, re-framing, and the like. Next, signals are encoded with Forward Error Correction (FEC) and can include additional Optical Transport Unit (OTU) compliant framing structures. The resulting data is processed appropriately for the subsequent optical re-transmission, such as, for example, with differential encoding, Gray encoding, I/Q Quadrature encoding, and the like. The data is sent to an optical transmitter block and modulated onto an optical carrier. Also, the same process proceeds in reverse on the receive side.

Abstract: A system for providing optical connections that may include an optical grating structure and an optical waveguide coupled to the optical grating structure. The optical grating structure may be configured to receive an optical wave, through an interposer, from an optical source. The optical grating structure may be configured to transform the optical wave into a predetermined electromagnetic propagation mode.

Abstract: A fiber optic system includes a transmitter configured to utilize a plurality of modulation formats and a receiver communicatively coupled to the transmitter and configured to utilize a plurality of modulation formats. The transmitter and the receiver are cooperatively configured to set a modulation format of the plurality of modulation formats based upon optical signal-to-noise ratio associated therewith. A flexible bandwidth adaptation method includes monitoring at least one aspect of an optical link at a network element, responsive to the at least one aspect, computing a new modulation scheme for the optical link, and, if a solution is found for the new modulation scheme, changing to the new modulation format.

Abstract: The present invention provides a high-speed 100 G optical transceiver for InfiniBand and Ethernet with associated mapping to frame InfiniBand and Ethernet into GFP-T. The optical transceiver utilizes an architecture which relies on standards-compliant (i.e., multi-sourced) physical client interfaces. These client interfaces are back-ended with flexible, programmable Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) modules to accomplish either InfiniBand or Ethernet protocol control, processing, re-framing, and the like. Next, signals are encoded with Forward Error Correction (FEC) and can include additional Optical Transport Unit (OTU) compliant framing structures. The resulting data is processed appropriately for the subsequent optical re-transmission, such as, for example, with differential encoding, Gray encoding, I/Q Quadrature encoding, and the like. The data is sent to an optical transmitter block and modulated onto an optical carrier. Also, the same process proceeds in reverse on the receive side.