Optical Networks and Devices for Data Centers

*       There currently exists significant world-wide interest in designing and deploying large data centers; such data centers will have Exaflop/s processing capabilities.

*       With computer systems performance approaching the Exaflop/s level, a dramatic increase in communications bandwidth for moving ExaBytes/s of data across the system, between the racks, chips and cores is becoming a major challenge.

*       The interconnection capacity requirements for such large systems are enormous and will exceed what is possible from using electronic approaches.

*       Indeed, all rack-to-rack communications are now achieved using multi-mode fibers to the point that within a few years it is expected that the number of optical links in a single computer system will become comparable to the total number of optical telecommunications links installed worldwide.

*       In parallel, there is intense discussion about the architecture of such data centers. Given that these systems will incorporate thousands of processors, there are many architectural questions that remain unanswered.

*       The International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors suggests that optical interconnects are the solution to interconnection bottlenecks that are predicted for both on-chip, chip-to-chip, and board-to-board level interconnects (rack-to-rack has been solved).

*       The meeting will explore how recent advances in data center system design and enabling optical interconnection technologies (e.g. nanoscale silicon photonic technologies) that will, in concert, address the critical bandwidth and power challenges presented across several levels of the computing system interconnect.

*       The topic is currently being discussed at the international level. Recent examples include the 2009 Optical Fiber Communications Conference, 2008 LEOS Annual meeting, and the 2009 Annual Workshop on Interconnections within High Speed Digital Systems.

*       Optical interconnects represent a potentially "green" technology that can be utilized to build eco-friendly data centers.

*       The objective of the meeting will be to bring together computer scientists/engineers with technology and interconnection specialist (system, subsystem, and device level researchers) to discuss approaches to the problem. Catalyzing discussions between system designers and technology developers represents a key objective/theme of the meeting.