Optically-Enabled Bloom Filter Label Forwarding Using a Silicon Photonic Switching Matrix

Simplified forwarding schemes relying on Bloom filter (BF)-based labels emerge as a promising approach for coping with the substantial increase in lookup table memory requirements associated with the growing number of end-hosts in DataCenters. In this paper, we present for the first time the successful implementation of a BF-label forwarding scheme over a silicon photonic switch fabric and we demonstrate its functionality with 10 Gb/s data packets that carry BF-encoded labels. The optically enabled BF-label forwarding setup utilizes a Si-based 4 × 4 electro-optic switch directly controlled by an amplifier-less and digital-to-analog-converter-less high speed Field Programmable Gate Array board. The FPGA is responsible for extracting the BF-label from the incoming packets and for carrying out the BF-based forwarding function, determining the appropriate switching state towards conveying incoming packets to the desired output. The use of BF-label forwarding allows for rapid switch reconfiguration avoiding the need for large look-up table updates as the network topology changes and devices are added, removed or simply change physical location. Successful operation for 10 Gb/s data packets has been obtained for a 1 × 4 routing layout.