Today, I will talk about the mainstream standards of data center 100G optical modules. The traditional data center is mainly based on 10G network architecture. In order to adapt to the scale deployment of AI, deep learning, big data computing and other services, the next-generation data center architecture is moving to 25G/100G network architecture. Evolution, it has been seen in China that Internet giants such as BAT have achieved scale deployment.

Because the construction of 25G/100G data center requires a large number of 100G optical modules, and it accounts for a relatively high proportion of network construction costs. Next, what are the mainstream standards for 100G optical modules?

Before you begin to share the optical module standards, first understand the standardization organization of the lower optical module. The definition of optical modules is mainly two key organizations, namely IEEE and MSA (Multi Source Agreement), which complement each other and learn from each other.

Everyone knows that IEEE is the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and 802.3 is a working group under IEEE. Many 10G, 40G, 100G, and 400G optical module standards are proposed by the IEEE 802.3 working group.

MSA is a multi-vendor specification. Compared with IEEE, it is a non-official organization. It will form different MSA protocols for different optical module standards. It can be understood as the behavior of enterprise alliances within the industry. In addition to defining the structural package of the optical module (including external dimensions, electrical connectors, pin assignments, etc.), the MSA also defines electrical and optical interfaces to form a complete optical module standard.

A long time ago, the optical module industry chain was very chaotic. Each manufacturer had its own structural package. The developed optical modules were large and small, and the interfaces were varied. In order to solve this problem, MSA multi-source protocol came into being. All manufacturers follow the standard package of the unified optical module proposed by MSA and related interfaces, which is like the standardization of mobile phone charging port. For 100G, MSA defined standards include 100G PSM4 MSA, 100G CWDM4 MSA, and 100G Lambda MSA.

In order to meet 100G interconnection scenarios of different distances, IEEE and MSA define more than ten 100G standards, but the mainstream is the following six standards.
100GBASE-SR10        IEEE 802.3
100GBASE-SR4          IEEE 802.3
100GBASE-LR4           IEEE 802.3
100GBASE-ER4          IEEE 802.3
100G PSM4                 MSA
100G CWDM4             MSA