Method and apparatus for providing a non-overlapping ring-mesh network topology

1. An apparatus for providing a switch cluster, the apparatus comprising:

a data storage; and

a processor communicatively connected to the data storage, the processor being configured to:

determine a set of target nodes;

determine a RingCount; and

determine a network architecture based on the set of target nodes and the RingCount, the network architecture comprises the set of target nodes communicatively connected to form a plurality of rings equal to the RingCount;

wherein each of the plurality of rings comprise the set of target nodes; and

wherein no link between any two nodes in any ring is duplicated in any of the other rings.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the RingCount is based on a number of members in the set of target nodes.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the RingCount is based on a performance metric.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the determination of the network architecture comprises configuring the processor to:

determine a plurality of candidate network architectures based on the set of target nodes and the RingCount; and

select one of the plurality of candidate network architectures as the network architecture based on a performance metric.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the performance metric is at least one of an average hop count and a maximum hop-count.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the determination of the network architecture comprises configuring the processor to:

construct a new non-overlapping ring based on at least one other non-overlapping ring;

wherein the plurality of non-overlapping rings comprises the new non-overlapping ring and the at least one other non-overlapping ring.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the construction of the new non-overlapping ring comprises configuring the processor to:

initialize a partial non-overlapping ring with a first of the target nodes;

append a second of the target nodes to the partial non-overlapping ring based on a determination that the connection between the second target node and the neighbor target nodes of the second target node in the partial non-overlapping ring is not duplicated in the at least one other non-overlapping ring; and

insert a third of the target nodes to the partial non-overlapping ring based on a determination that the connection between the third target node and the neighbor target nodes of the third target node in the partial non-overlapping ring is not duplicated in the at least one other non-overlapping ring.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second target node is selected randomly from a subset of the target nodes, the subset comprising the members of the target nodes that are not in the partial non-overlapping ring such that connections with the first node and the last node in the partial non-overlapping ring are not duplicated in the at least one other non-overlapping ring.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the insertion of the third target node is based on a determination that none of the target nodes remaining to be added to the partial non-overlapping ring may be appended to the partial non-overlapping ring.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the determination of the network architecture is further based on at least one of a customer service level agreement or a quality of service constraint.

11. A system for switching data, the system comprising:

a switch cluster comprising:

a plurality of nodes communicatively connected to form a plurality rings;

wherein each of the plurality of rings comprise the set of target nodes; and

wherein no link between any two nodes in any ring is duplicated in any of the other rings.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the switch cluster provides substantially a 3-hop network.

13. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:

a second switch cluster communicatively connected to the switch cluster, the second switch cluster comprising:

a second plurality of nodes communicatively connected to form a second plurality of non-overlapping rings.

14. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:

a second switch cluster communicatively connected to the switch cluster, the second switch cluster comprising:

a second plurality of nodes communicatively connected to form a full mesh topology.

15. A method for providing a switch cluster, the method comprising:

at a processor communicatively connected to a data storage, determining a set of target nodes;

determining, by the processor in cooperation with the data storage, a RingCount; and

determining, by the processor in cooperation with the data storage, a network architecture based on the set of target nodes and the RingCount, the network architecture comprises the set of target nodes communicatively connected to form a plurality of rings equal to the RingCount;

wherein each of the plurality of rings comprise the set of target nodes; and

wherein no link between any two nodes in any ring is duplicated in any of the other rings.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

adding, by the processor in cooperation with the data storage, a new ring to the network architecture based on a network growth threshold.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of adding the new ring comprises redirecting a port on a first of the target nodes to communicatively connect the first target node with a second of the target nodes.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the RingCount is based on a performance metric.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of determining of the network architecture comprises:

constructing, by the processor in cooperation with the data storage, a new non-overlapping ring based on at least one other non-overlapping ring;

wherein the plurality of non-overlapping rings comprises the new non-overlapping ring and the at least one other non-overlapping ring.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the determination of the network architecture is further based on at least one of a customer service level agreement or a quality of service constraint.