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Naive question, is the switch in this article packet switching or circuit switching? (I recall Google's TPU clusters have some optical circuit switching)
by andrewf 2y ago
Naive question, is the switch in this article packet switching or circuit switching? (I recall Google's TPU clusters have some optical circuit switching)
- bastard_op 2y agoThis removes *sfp interface transceivers as pluggable (replaceable) entities between the ethernet controller and the lasers, putting lasers directly on the switch chip itself. The problem is what happens when 1 single ethernet port transmit/receive laser out of 128/256 ports on die fails? You replace the whole switch, or move it to a spare port assuming you have one on the switch, and cabling accounts for it. You're also talking 25/100/400/800 gigabit ethernet (or infiniband) ports here too using silicon photonics.
- monocasa 2y agoWhat happens when an xgmii transceiver on a switch die fails today?
- bastard_op 2y agoI don't see many switch on chip failures over the years, but I do see lots of bad optic network transceivers. As a network guy dealing with flaky gigabit transceivers over the past 25 years, I just have to wonder how well this will work out aggregating them all to one chip.
- mtoner23 2y agoHopefully with optics integrated on the chip they will become more reliable, less heat swings. less likely to be banged around by people plugging and plugging neighboring ports. but we'll see...
- jiggawatts 2y agoYou just don't use that port, and keep using the remaining 127 or 255 ports.
- wmf 2y agoPacket switching.