Large-scale optical datacentre networks using hybrid Fibre Delay Line buffers and packet Retransmission

In this paper, we propose a large-scale transparent optical datacentre network with a coordinated congestion management technique, combining optical Fibre Delay Line (FDL) buffering and novel packet retransmission schemes. Two different retransmission mechanisms are investigated: Random Retransmission (RR) and a novel scheme called Pre-Reservation Retransmission (PRR). To examine the efficacy of the hybrid optical buffering/retransmission schemes in resolving contention, a detailed performance analysis has been conducted in the optical network under study. Simulation results show that our proposed hybrid solution can efficiently manage traffic conflicts in the optical network with good latency performance, and maintain a relatively low retransmission rate. Thus, the proposed high-performance optical packet-switched network exploiting the merits of different congestion technologies presents a promising networking solution for future datacentre networks.