3 ms·
Switching/routing usually requires significant information processing (e.g. decode packet header, match destination address against routing tables, etc.). This
by dogber1 5y ago
Switching/routing usually requires significant information processing (e.g. decode packet header, match destination address against routing tables, etc.). This necessitates 10k or more gates. All-optical computing can't deliver this level of integration density, nor the performance at reasonable power levels.
Maybe there will be some smart way to pre-encode routing information onto packets to reduce processing requirements, but I doubt that such a network could scale.
- corndoge 5y ago> Maybe there will be some smart way to pre-encode routing information onto packets to reduce processing requirements, but I doubt that such a network could scale. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiprotocol_Label_Switching https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiprotocol_Label_Switching
- namibj 5y agoThat sounds like a derivate of MPLS, where labelsa re only stripped along the path.
- iptrans 5y agoBeing able to do any kind of computation in the optical domain would benefit telecommunications immensely. Basic things like optical muxing/demuxing and serialization/deserialization would be fantastic.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- formerly_proven 5y agoI was going to say "But wavelength/polarization multiplexing is the norm", but you have "fiber network design" in your about so I'm wondering what I'm missing - I guess you mean dynamic muxing, essentially routing? SerDes is of course annoying.
- iptrans 5y agoYes, being able to do anything dynamically in the optical domain would improve things. My main point is that to be able to do even the small stuff in the optical domain would be a big win. You don’t need to be able to achieve L2/L3 switching/routing to move the needle.