Google OCS Apollo: The >$3B Game-Changer in Datacenter Networking (2023) (newsletter.semianalysis.com)

Google has unveiled its OCS Apollo project, a transformative datacenter networking solution that is projected to save over $3 billion and enhance network performance. This custom optical switch system integrates a new architecture to replace traditional electronic packet switches with Optical Circuit Switches (OCS). By doing so, Google not only optimizes operational costs and power consumption—achieving a 30% improvement in throughput and 40% reduction in power usage—but also significantly minimizes downtimes, cutting them down by about 50 times. The OCS technology began deployment over five years ago and has proven integral to the training of Google's advanced large language models. The Apollo initiative introduces the Palomar MEMS mirror-based switch, which utilizes up to 176 controllable micro-mirrors to seamlessly redirect data without the latency typically associated with electrical switches. With advantages such as data rate and wavelength agnosticism, low latency, and a longer lifespan through reuse over multiple upgrades, the OCS solutions enable Google to avoid frequent overhauls and reduce capital expenditures over time. Despite certain challenges—like reconfiguration speed and insertion loss—the design relies on tailored network planning to optimize traffic flow, positioning Google not only to enhance its own infrastructure but potentially redefine industry standards in datacenter networking.