In this paper, we consider the performance of optical circuit switching (OCS)
systems designed for data center networks by using network-level simulation. Recent
proposals have used OCS in data center networks but the relatively slow switching times of
OCS-MEMS switches (10–100 ms) and the latencies of control planes in these approaches
have limited their use to the largest data center networks with workloads that last several
seconds. Herein, we extend the applicability and generality of these studies by considering
dynamically changing short-lived circuits in software-controlled OCS switches, using the
faster switching technologies that are now available. The modelled switch architecture
features fast optical switches in a single hop topology with a centralized, software-defined
optical control plane. We model different workloads with various traffic aggregation
parameters to investigate the performance of such designs across usage patterns. Our
results show that, with suitable choices for the OCS system parameters, delay performance
comparable to that of electrical data center networks can be obtained.