J. great job on finding those posts. The performance is going up and cost is coming down at a rapid rate. The funny thing, is you mainly read about these new optical modules being used with GB ethernet. I get the feeling that the concept and reality of low cost powerful laser modules coupled with more powerful ICs, is starting to invade the computing ecosystem and it is starting to rock the boat in ways we can't even fully see yet. I think as the cost of DWDM and optics in general come down it will make sense to use it in more places and the companies that reach out and master compressing the cost structures of systems, by integrating "Intelligent Optics" into their products will have an edge on their competitors.
I am not an expert, and not in the industry, that's why I can wildly speculate without worrying to much about being wrong, and the feedback I get from the real experts helps me point my investment decisions hopefully in the right direction, but it seems like when you start thinking of ways laser modules and DWDM can be integrated into Data Centers, to create new equipment hybrids and compressing the costs of installing and running the overall system, it might be interesting to visualize what a Data Center of the future might look like, if optics were so cheap you could have a handfull of fiber optic cables running thru the entire Data Center with each carrying hundreds of virtual channels of light, and all the equipment in the Data Center connected to these Fibers could split off portions of the channels in one giant web of virtual lightwave channels, controlled by a hybrid Intelligent DWDM Fibre Channel Director Network that hasn't been thought of yet. The only reason I contemplate this happening is picturing a Data Center with millions of cables going everywhere seems primitive compared to a large complex tightly packed Data Center that has the data compressed into a handfull of optical cables (that can cover Lan, Man, or Wan distances), using advances in technology and cost structures to simplify and virtualize everything, so the power to control the system with software is increased. Maybe I am totally out in left field in speculating on Intelligent DWDM Hybrid FC/Infiniband/iSCSI Directors. Comments on why this is not a good idea are welcome.
Just more musings on my part about what may be coming. Based on the comments from the guy at Finisar, it does seem like some revolutionary developments are brewing in low cost, but powerful laser optics that will have in impact on the networks as we currently see them.
Joe |
