WASHINGTON --A presentation at the Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exposition/National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference OFC/NFOEC in San Diego on March 24 will examine the technologies that will emerge in the next three to four years to power warehouse-scale computing data centers, upon which companies such as Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Yahoo, Facebook, and many more are increasingly relying.

“Users enjoy the convenience of accessing their data from anywhere and at any time, so long as they have a network connection”

The advent of distributed, massive-scale "cloud computing" today is something of a return to the early 1980s, when computing was of a different sort. Rather than individual desktop or laptop machines, which are the current norm, computers were usually time-shared among multiple users working on "dumb" terminals connected to a central machine—often located in some remote corner of the building.

Cloud computing basically makes use of the Internet to connect remote users to massive, warehouse-scale data centers that house large networks of processors and memory for crunching and storing data. These warehouse data centers promise to lower computing costs by sharing resources and taking advantage of economies of scale, says Network Architect Cedric Lam of Google, and they will relieve users of the hassles of maintaining and upgrading equipment and backing up their data.

But the real advantage of this type of computing, adds Lam, is portability. "Users enjoy the convenience of accessing their data from anywhere and at any time, so long as they have a network connection," he says.

At OFC/NFOEC 2010, Lam will discuss the optical connectors and other optical networking technologies that will emerge in the next few years. Low-cost, high-bandwidth and high-density optical fiber interconnects are essential for this type of computing because they make it possible to lower power consumption and increase connectivity among individual processors within the clusters of connected computers in the warehouses. Optical connectivity is also used for the ultra-long-haul transport of information between data centers.

On the long-haul side, what will be most important in the next few years, Lam says, is maximizing the capacity of existing and newly installed optical lines, and minimizing the need for OEO regenerators over long distances. He says this may be accomplished by exploring new optical spectra besides the traditional C-band, and new ways to carry information, e.g. using new modulation formats and signal processing techniques to improve spectral efficiency and tolerances to transmission impairments.

The OFC/NFOEC 2010 talk, “Google Optical Network,” presentation NWA3, will take place from 1:40 - 2:20 p.m. on Wednesday, March 24 in the San Diego Convention Center.

MEETING INFORMATION

The OFC/NFOEC Web site is http://www.ofcnfoec.org/. In addition to comprehensive technical programming information, the site includes details on the trade show and exposition, where the latest in optical technology from more than 500 of the industry's key companies will be on display.

JOURNALIST REGISTRATION

Members of the press who wish to attend the meeting should contact Angela Stark at astark at osa.org. More information can be found online at the OFC/NFOEC media center: http://www.ofcnfoec.org/media_center/index.aspx.

About OFC/NFOEC

Since 1979, the Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exposition OFC has provided an annual backdrop for the optical communications field to network and share research and innovations. In 2004, OFC joined forces with the National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference NFOEC, creating the largest and most comprehensive international event for optical communications. By combining an exposition of approximately 500 companies with a unique program of peer-reviewed technical programming and special focused educational sessions, OFC/NFOEC provides an unparalleled opportunity, reaching every audience from service providers to optical equipment manufacturers and beyond. OFC/NFOEC is managed by the Optical Society OSA and co-sponsored by OSA, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers/Communications Society IEEE/ComSoc and the IEEE Photonics Society. Acting as non-financial technical co-sponsor is Telcordia Technologies, Inc.