EAGER: Reconfigurable Gigabit Wireless Networks for Data Center Interconnects

University Of Texas At Dallas, Richardson TX

Investigators

Abstract

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The objective of this research is to demonstrate the feasibility of reconfigurable wireless interconnection networks operating in the 60 GHz ISM band for data centers and server farms. The approach is to build a test bench using a personal computer, commercially available software and off-the-shelf components to simulate an actual data server using 60 GHz wireless interconnects and switches. Actual measurement data using the available hardware and reported results will be used to achieve realistic simulations of data servers and farms. The intellectual merit of the proposed research includes: (1) investigation of the medium access control protocols to successfully control the reconfigurable and versatile wireless interconnect networks that can handle the combination of both point-to-point and non-directed wireless links in a single data center, and (2) the investigation of the 60 GHz wireless link, its channel performance, the impairments owing to obstructions and link dropouts, timing issues for the data transfers within the servers, and the overall coping mechanism of such networks with respect to data congestion and packet loss. The broader impacts of this research include improving the way data servers communicate and the overall network setup and configuration. The wireless interconnect switches, as proposed, will allow on-the-fly reconfigurability of the interconnection network, providing optimal load sharing, and minimizing disruption because of failures, and easier debugging, upgrades and repairs, without compromising the overall speed and size. This will be accomplished at a considerably reduced cost because of significantly lower to no downtime.