Demystifying DataCenter CLOS networks

There’s been a lot of talk about scaling and operational challenges of running datacenter CLOS networks, with some people saying that there isn’t enough information about exactly how to build them well, and others saying that it’s too hard, and that we need new protocols created to help with the problem. This talk will decloak the CLOS design that Yahoo used to underpin its datacenter networks starting 2012, describe the architectural tradeoffs of different CLOS designs, talk about specifics of the design selected, as well as describe lessons learned in building, scaling, and operating those networks.