IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,196,683
Granted Patent B2
US 11,196,683 · App. 16/724,204 · Granted Dec 7, 2021

Switch with side ports

Inventors: Zhiping Yao (Santa Clara, CA); Che Kin Leung (Fremont, CA)
Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
H04L49/40H04L49/15H05K7/1492
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,196,683
App. No.
16/724,204
Granted
Dec 7, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Data center switches are described. A rack of a data center can include several switches to implement a network topology. The switches can include ports on their fronts and sides such that cables can be coupled with these side ports to implement the network topology.

Claims (39)

1. A network rack, comprising:

a first switch having a front, a back, and first side joining the front to the back and a second side joining the front to the back, wherein the first switch has a first front port on the front and a second port on the first side, and the second port on the first side of the first switch is a small form-factor pluggable (SFP) type port physically facing at an angle different from at least a portion of the first side of the first switch;

a second switch having a front, a back, and first side joining the front to the back and a second side joining the front to the back, wherein the second switch has a first front port on the front of the second switch and a second port on the first side of the second switch, and the second port on the first side of the second switch is a small form-factor pluggable (SFP) type port physically facing at an angle different from at least a portion of the first side of the second switch;

wherein the first front port on the front of the first switch is configured to be coupled with the first front port on the front of the second switch via a first cable; and

wherein the second port on the first side of the first switch is configured to be coupled with the second port on the first side of the second switch via a second cable.

2. The network rack of claim 1 , further comprising:

the first cable, wherein the first cable has a first length; and

the second cable, wherein the second has a second length longer than the first length.

3. The network rack of claim 2 , wherein the first cable and the second cable include copper cabling.

4. The network rack of claim 2 , wherein the second cable coupling the second port on the first side of the first switch with the second port on the first side of the second switch is arranged between a wall of the network rack and the first switch.

5. The network rack of claim 2 , wherein the first cable and the second cable include optical fiber.

6. The network rack of claim 1 , wherein the first switch includes a switch circuit on a printed circuit board (PCB), a first interconnect couples the first front port on the front of the first switch with the switch circuit, a second interconnect couples the second port on the first side of the first switch with the switch circuit, the first interconnect having a first length, the second interconnect having a second length, the second length being shorter than the first length.

7. The network rack of claim 1 , wherein the first front port on the front of the first switch and the first front port on the front of the second switch correspond to a first data rate, the second port on the first side of the first switch and the second port on the first side of the second switch correspond to a second data rate, the first data rate and the second data rate being different data rates.

8. The network rack of claim 7 , wherein the second data rate is higher than the first data rate.

9. The network rack of claim 1 , wherein the second port on the first side of the first switch is angled towards a back side of the network rack.

10. A switch including:

a front;

a back;

a first side joining to the front to the back;

a second side joining the front to the back;

a first port on the front of the switch, wherein the first port is configured to be coupled with a front port on the front of another switch via a first cable;

a second port on the first side of the switch, wherein the second port is configured to be coupled with a second port on a first side of another switch via a second cable;

wherein the second port on the first side of the switch is a small form-factor pluggable (SFP) type port physically facing at an angle different from at least a portion of the first side of the switch.

11. The switch of claim 10 , wherein the second cable is longer than the first cable.

12. The switch of claim 11 , wherein the first cable and the second cable include copper cabling.

13. The switch of claim 11 , wherein the first cable and the second cable include optical fiber.

14. The switch of claim 10 , wherein the switch includes a switch circuit, wherein a first interconnect couples the first front port on the front of the switch with the switch circuit, a second interconnect couples the second port on the first side of the switch with the switch circuit, the first interconnect having a first length, the second interconnect having a second length, the second length being shorter than the first length.

15. The switch of claim 10 , wherein the first front port on the front of the switch corresponds to a first data rate, the second port on the first side of the switch corresponds to a second data rate, the first data rate and the second data rate being different data rates.

16. The switch of claim 15 , wherein the second data rate is higher than the first data rate.

17. The switch of claim 10 , wherein the second port on the first side of the switch is angled towards a back side of the switch.

18. A method comprising:

providing a first switch having a front, a back, and first side joining the front to the back and a second side joining the front to the back, wherein the first switch has a first front port on the front and a second port on the first side, and the second port on the first side of the first switch is a small form-factor pluggable (SFP) type port physically facing at an angle different from at least a portion of the first side of the first switch;

providing a second switch having a front, a back, and first side joining the front to the back and a second side joining the front to the back, wherein the second switch has a first front port on the front of the second switch and a second port on the first side of the second switch, and the second port on the first side of the second switch is a small form-factor pluggable (SFP) type port physically facing at an angle different from at least a portion of the first side of the second switch;

coupling the first front port on the front of the first switch to the first front port on the front of the second switch via a first cable; and

coupling the second port on the first side of the first switch to the second port on the first side of the second switch via a second cable.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

providing the first cable, wherein the first cable has a first length; and

providing the second cable, wherein the second has a second length longer than the first length.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the first cable and the second cable include at least one of copper cabling and optical fiber.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 8, 2024
From: YAO, ZHIPING; LEUNG, CHE KIN
To: FACEBOOK, INC
Reel/Frame 067033/0356 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 19, 2021
From: FACEBOOK, INC.
To: META PLATFORMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 058214/0351 →