SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR POWER REDUCTION IN NETWORK EQUIPMENT

• US 20150180779A1
• Filed: 12/19/2013
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: GEETHA GOPALAKRISHNAN, Raman
• Granted Patent: US 10,158,546 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0833 for reduction of network energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0203 in the radio access network or backbone network of wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/343 taking into account loading or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them

Abstract

A system and method for power reduction in network equipment includes collecting network traffic statistics for a network segment that includes a plurality of network links between a first node and a second node, determining an amount of network traffic on the network segment based on the first network traffic statistics, determining whether the amount of network traffic is above a first threshold, selecting a first network link from the network links that are shutdown when the amount of network traffic is above the first threshold; directing that the first network link be brought up; determining whether the amount of network traffic is below a second threshold less than the first threshold, selecting a second network link from the network links that are online when the amount of network traffic is below the second threshold, and directing that the second network link be shut down.

Claims

1. A method of managing power in a network, the method comprising:

collecting first network traffic statistics for a network segment between a first node and a second node, the network segment comprising a plurality of network links between the first node and the second node;

determining an amount of network traffic on the network segment based on the collected first network traffic statistics;

determining whether the amount of network traffic on the network segment is above a first threshold;

selecting a first network link from the plurality of network links that are shutdown when the amount of network traffic on the network segment is above the first threshold;

directing that the first network link be brought up;

determining whether the amount of network traffic on the network segment is below a second threshold, the second threshold being below the first threshold;

selecting a second network link from the plurality of network links that are online when the amount of network traffic on the network segment is below the second threshold; and

directing that the second network link be shut down.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first network link and the second network link are a same network link.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an alert when the amount of network traffic on the network segment is below the second threshold and only one of the plurality of network links is online.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an alert when the amount of network traffic on the network segment is above the first threshold and each of the plurality of network links is online.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first threshold and the second threshold are selected to provide hysteresis between bringing up and shutting down any of the plurality of network links.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first threshold and the second threshold vary as a number of network links in the plurality of network links that are online changes.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first network traffic statistics are collected over a time interval.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the time interval is between 100 ms and 10 s.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein directing that the first network link be brought up comprises:

sending one or more messages to the first node instructing the first node to bring up the first network link; and

sending one or more messages to the second node instructing the second node to bring up the first network link.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein directing that the second network link be shut down comprises:

sending one or more messages to the first node instructing the first node to shut down the second network link; and

sending one or more messages to the second node instructing the second node to shut down the second network link.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein collecting the first network traffic statistics comprises receiving one or more messages from the first node.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

collecting second network traffic statistics for a plurality of network segments, the plurality of network segments coupling together a plurality of nodes to form the network;

collecting third network traffic statistics for a plurality of flows being transmitted using the network;

selecting a first network segment from the plurality of network segments based on the collected second and third network traffic statistics;

directing that the first network segment be shut down;

selecting a second network segment from the plurality of network segments based on the collected second and third network traffic statistics; and

directing that the second network segment be brought up.

13. A method of managing power in a network, the method comprising:

collecting first network traffic statistics for a plurality of network segments, the plurality of network segments coupling together a plurality of nodes to form the network;

collecting second network traffic statistics for a plurality of flows being transmitted using the network;

selecting a first network segment from the plurality of network segments based on the collected first and second network traffic statistics;

directing that the first network segment be shut down;

selecting a second network segment from the plurality of network segments based on the collected first and second network traffic statistics; and

directing that the second network segment be brought up.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein selecting the first network segment comprises:

identifying a first flow for which the first network segment is carrying network traffic;

determining whether the network includes an alternate path for the first flow; and

determining whether each respective network segment on the alternate path has capacity for the first flow based on an amount of network traffic on the respective network segment and an amount of network traffic associated with the first flow.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

sending one or more first messages to each node associated with the alternate path to direct each node to forward network traffic for the first flow using the alternate path; and

sending one or more second messages to both nodes associated with the first network segment instructing both nodes to shut down each online network link included in the first network segment.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein determining whether each respective network segment on the alternate path has capacity for the first flow comprises determining whether bringing up a shutdown network link of a third network segment on the alternate path would provide capacity for the first flow on the third network segment.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein selecting the second network segment comprises:

determining that an amount of network traffic on a third network segment is above a respective threshold based on the first network traffic statistics;

identifying a first flow whose network traffic is being transmitted on the third network segment;

determining whether the network includes an alternate path for the first flow, the alternate path including the second network segment; and

determining whether each respective network segment on the alternate path has capacity for the first flow based on an amount of network traffic on the respective network segment and an amount of network traffic associated with the first flow.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein removal of an amount of network traffic associated with the first flow from the third network segment reduces the amount of network traffic on the third network segment to below the respective threshold.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

sending one or more first messages to both nodes associated with the second network segment instructing both nodes to bring up at least one network link of the second network segment; and

sending one or more second messages to each node associated with the alternate path to direct each node to forward network traffic for the flow using the alternate path.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising generating an alert when no alternate path with sufficient capacity is available for each flow being transmitted on the third network segment.

21. The method of claim 13 wherein the first network traffic statistics and the second network traffic statistics are collected over a time interval.

22. The method of claim 13 wherein the first network segment and the second network segment are a same network segment.

23. An information handling system comprising:

a network controller comprising;

a control unit comprising one or more processors;

a memory coupled to the control unit and storing a plurality of machine-readable instructions for execution by the one or more processors; and

one or more ports coupled to the control unit and configured to couple the network controller to a network comprising a plurality of nodes coupled together using a plurality of network segments;

wherein the network controller is configured to;

collect first network traffic statistics for a plurality of network segments, the plurality of network segments coupling together a plurality of nodes to form the network;

collect second network traffic statistics for a plurality of flows being transmitted using the network;

select a first network segment from the plurality of network segments based on the collected first and second network traffic statistics;

direct that the first network segment be shut down;

select a second network segment from the plurality of network segments based on the collected first and second network traffic statistics; and

direct that the second network segment be brought up.

24. The information handling system of claim 23 wherein the network controller is a software defined networking (SDN) controller.

25. The information handling system of claim 23 wherein the network controller is further configured to receive one or more messages from the plurality of nodes, the one or more messages including data associated with the first network statistics and the second network statistics.

26. The information handling system of claim 23 wherein the network controller is further configured to send one or more messages to both nodes associated with the first network segment instructing both nodes to shut down each online network link included in the first network segment.

27. The information handling system of claim 23 wherein the network controller is further configured to send one or more first messages to both nodes associated with the second network segment instructing both nodes to bring up at least one network link of the second network segment

28. The information handling system of claim 23 wherein the network controller is further configured to:

determine an amount of network traffic on a third network segment based on the collected first network traffic statistics;

determine whether the amount of network traffic on the third network segment is above a first threshold;

select a first network link from a first plurality of network links of the third network segment that are shutdown when the amount of network traffic on the third network segment is above the first threshold;

directing that the first network link be brought up;

determining whether the amount of network traffic on the third network segment is below a second threshold, the second threshold being below the first threshold; and

selecting a second network link from a second plurality of network links of the third network segment that are online when the amount of network traffic on the third network segment is below the second threshold; and

directing that the second network link be shut down.

29. The information handling system of claim 23 wherein each of the nodes are selected from a group consisting of a network switching device, a switch, a bridge, and a router.