Calient Adds OpenFlow to its Data Center Optical Switch

CALIENT Technologies will be releasing an application programming interface (API) for OpenFlow on its S320 optical circuit switch. This will allow the S320 to optimize high-capacity data flows at the optical layer and to function as part of an integrated packet-circuit switched software-defined network (SDN).

Calient’s 320-port (full duplex) S320 is a MEMS-based optical switch that connects top-of-rack switches in a data center. The OpenFlow API runs on the S320’s MEMS Switching Module (MSM), a high-availability switching and control subsystem with redundant control processors and a Linux-based operating system.

Calient said an OpenFlow controller can reconfigure S320 connections based on time of day, real-time application flows or predictive algorithms.