Photonic disaggregated computer: the innovative computing platform for the Digitalized Future Society

What are the requirements for next generation ICT infrastructure?

In 2030, extremely rich user experiences will be delivered beyond the limitations of distance and time. In the future society in 2030, network will connect among people and various things and innovative services will be provided based on big data.

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What is the requirements for the future ICT infrastructure?

High-performance

The evolution of AI technology and progress in Digital Transformation are expected to create new services with sophisticated and diverse performance requirements. High-performance, such as high speed and low latency are required so that these services need huge volume and real-time data exchange.

Low power consumption

Due to rapid growth of communication traffic volume toward 2030s, ICT related power consumption will be explosively increased*. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the power consumption of ICT infrastructure.

Fujitsu proposes Photonic disaggregated computer as an innovative ICT infrastructure to satisfy these requirements.

* Japan Science and Technology Agency (2019) Impact of Progress of Information Society on Energy Consumption (Vol. 1)

Features and values of Photonic disaggregated computer

Photonic disaggregated computer is the computing platform that delivers high performance and low power consumption which are difficult to be realized at the same time by conventional computing technologies. Photonic disaggregated computer has following three features.

Flexible reconfiguration of resources
Photonic disaggregated computer manages hardware resources such as CPU, memory and accelerator as a resource pool in an integrated manner. It constructs logical server from the resource pool in real-time and dynamically according to the load. While addition of necessary resources needs to be done in per-server based resources in conventional computer because of its fixed hardware configuration, Photonic disaggregated computer enables more flexible reconfiguration of resources from resource pool for users.

Device-to-device communication
Photonic disaggregated computer connects directly between accelerators in the data processing without the involvement of CPUs. As conventional computer relies on CPUs for every process, it tends to increase power consumption and latency due to the concentration of load on the CPUs. Direct connections between accelerators realizes efficient processing.

Utilization of Photonics-Electronics convergence technology
Photonic disaggregated computer utilizes photonics connection, not electric connection. Taking advantage of photonics technology characterized by high-speed and high energy efficiency, it is able to reduce power consumption and prevent deterioration of calculation speed compared to conventional computing.

Photonic disaggregated computer achieves both high performance and low power consumption.

High-performance
Photonics disaggregated computer guarantees performance by using as many resources as necessary to satisfy the load and reduces latency and fluctuation of latency by reducing CPU processing. In addition, with photonics-electronics convergence technology which has the strength in high-speed processing, large-capacity and low latency transmission become possible. Photonics disaggregated computer improves the performance of overall ICT infrastructure.

Low power consumption
Power consumption of ICT infrastructure is reduced by photonics-electronic conversion technology, minimal resource configuration, and processing without involvement of CPU which increases power consumption.

Use cases where Photonic disaggregated computer is effective

Photonic disaggregated computer maximizes its effectiveness in service areas with the following characteristics:
1. Large volume of data processing
2. Many variations of type of processing which utilizes accelerators
3. Wide dynamic range of processing
4. Severe latency requirement

The services such as an image analysis AI that processes large amounts of data, or a rendering for real-time and heavy data processing have these features. One example is Smart Security service, which looks out for people on the streets and keeps them safe. The service requires real-time and huge data processing using a large amount of camera images, so it requires large volume of data processing, and low latency. Also, due to differences of the number of people captured between day and night, the service is characterized by diverse type of processing and wide dynamic range of processing load. Utilizing Photonic disaggregated computer, low power consumption is realized while guaranteeing high level security by optimally allocating the most suitable accelerators according to the situation.

Future vision: evolution of Photonic disaggregated computer

Photonic disaggregated computer will be applied not only to single server or data center, but also to the entire ICT architecture, enabling optimal ICT resource deployment extensively.
In the future, the coverage is expected to expand to data centers which are dispersed geographically utilizing advanced photonic technology such as APN*. In other words, high performance and low power consumption ICT architecture will be built on large scale, even enabling the flexible allocation of resources across cities. As the scope of application expands, the three technologies that characterize Photonic disaggregated computer will evolve stage by stage to support the realization of this vision.

Fujitsu’s initiative for Photonic disaggregated computer

Research & Development

Fujitsu is conducting R&D for realizing Photonic disaggregated computer by utilizing our strengths in photonic and computing technologies. We also established a strategic alliance with Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation to conduct joint R&D on new ICT infrastructure, including Photonic disaggregated computer.

NTT and Fujitsu Embark on Strategic Alliance to Drive "Realization of Sustainable Digital Society"

Especially, we are conducting R&D on controller technology for utilization of appropriate accelerators for each processing, direct communication and processing technology between accelerators, and utilization of Photonics-Electronics convergence technology that enable photonic connection of network functions and resources.

Community activities

We believe that global and open collaboration with a wide range of partners are essential for realization and implementation of innovative technologies such as Photonic disaggregated computer. Fujitsu is participating in various global community activities such as the IOWN Global Forum* to promote the initiative of Photonic disaggregated computer.

Fujitsu's activities in IOWN Global Forum

* The IOWN GLOBAL FORUM mark and IOWN GLOBAL FORUM & Design logo are trademarks of Innovative Optical and Wireless Network Global Forum, Inc. in the United States and other countries.