COSIGN: The COSIGN consortium brings together a unique combination of expertise and resources to deliver novel scalable and future-proof intra-data centre network solutions empowered by advanced optical technologies and a software defined control framework, which will overcome existing and predicted bottlenecks of current architectural solutions.

The data centre transformation envisioned by the COSIGN consortium comprises disruptive changes in the data plane infrastructure, significant advances to the control plane and virtualization approaches, and major innovations in network resources management as a part of overall data centre orchestration. More in detail:

1. In the Data Centre Network (DCN) Data Plane, the COSIGN project aims to achieve a fully optical interconnection path from server to server within racks and between racks, and will address the following building blocks:
   • Large and scalable top-of-the-rack (TOR) optical switches.
   • Scalable, ultra-high capacity and ultra-low latency interconnects
   • High spatial dimensioning to support large port density as well as scalability of the architecture utilizing new data-com fibre technologies such as multicore fibres.
2. In the DC Control and Management, COSIGN will build upon the Software Defined Networks (SDN) paradigm. COSIGN will extend the SDN capabilities to leverage the added value of emerging optical technologies. In addition, converged network and IT virtualization capabilities for data centres will be provided.
3. In the DC Infrastructure Virtualization and Orchestration, COSIGN will implement the concept of ‘DC Infrastructure as a Service’ by implementing the required mechanisms for composition and operation of multiple isolated and concurrent virtual DCs sharing same DC infrastructure.