METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR HOLISTIC ENERGY MANAGEMENT IN ETHERNET NETWORKS

• US 20080232290A1
• Filed: 03/24/2008
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Powell, Scott, Elzur, Uri
• Granted Patent: US 7,916,676 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

Aspects of a method and system for holistic energy management in Ethernet networks are provided. In this regard, based on activity in one or more nodes in a network, power consumption in the network may be controlled via computational capabilities of node(s) in the network and/or via a data communication rate between nodes in the network. Activity in a network node may be determined based on deep packet inspection of traffic transmitted/received by the node, inspection of data exchanged between subsystems in the node, a state of an operating system running in the node, data processed or waiting to be processed in the node, information exchanged between an energy management entity in the node and an energy management entity in one or more other nodes, computing tasks delegated to the node, and/or instructions transmitted along with a computing task delegated to the node.

Claims

1. A method for networking, the method comprising:

in a network comprising a plurality of nodes, determining data processing activity within one or more of said plurality of nodes in said network; and

based on said determination, controlling power consumption in said network via one or both of computational capabilities of said one or more of said plurality of nodes and a data communication rate between two or more of said plurality of nodes.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising determining said data processing activity in said one or more of said plurality of nodes by deep packet inspection of traffic transmitted and received by said one or more of said plurality of network nodes.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising determining said data processing activity in said one or more of said plurality of nodes by inspection of data exchanged between subsystems in said one or more of said plurality of nodes.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising determining activity in said one or more of said plurality of nodes based on a state of an operating system and/or one or more applications running in said one or more of said plurality of nodes.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising determining activity in said one or more of said plurality of nodes based on data processed or waiting to be processed in said one or more of said plurality of nodes.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising determining activity in said one or more of said plurality of nodes via information exchanged between an energy management entity a first portion of said one or more of said plurality of nodes and one or more energy management entities a second portion of said one or more of said plurality of nodes.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising controlling said computational capabilities by one or more of:

enabling and/or disabling one or more portions of said one or more of said plurality of nodes;

placing one or more portions of said one or more of said plurality of nodes into a lower or higher power consumption state; and

adjusting a frequency of one or more clock signals in said one or more of said plurality of node.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising determining activity in said one or more of said plurality of nodes based on one or more computing tasks delegated to said one or more of said plurality of nodes.

9. The method according to claim 8, comprising transmitting said one or more computing tasks and information for performing said one or more computing tasks to said one or more of said plurality of nodes, wherein said information enables determining said activity in said one or more of said plurality of nodes.

10. The method according to claim 1, comprising controlling power consumption in said network based on whether power over Ethernet is available on one or more links of said network.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein one or more of said plurality of network nodes operate as power supplying equipment and one or more of said plurality of nodes operate as powered devices.

12. The method according to claim 11, comprising controlling said power provided by said power supplying equipment based on said data processing activity in said powered devices.

13. The method according to claim 11, comprising allocating available power from said power supplying equipment amongst said one or more of said plurality of nodes operating as said powered devices.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein said one or more circuits enable determination of activity in said one or more of said plurality of nodes based on a state of an operating system and/or one or more applications running in said one or more of said plurality of nodes.

14. A system for networking, the system comprising:

in a network comprising a plurality of nodes, one or more circuits that enable;

determination of data processing activity within one or more of said plurality of nodes in said network; and

based on said determination, control of power consumption in said network via one or both of computational capabilities of said one or more of said plurality of nodes and a data communication rate between two or more of said plurality of nodes.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said one or more circuits enable determination of said data processing activity in said one or more of said plurality of nodes by deep packet inspection of traffic transmitted and received by said one or more of said plurality of network nodes.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein said one or more circuits enable determination of said data processing activity in said one or more of said plurality of nodes by inspection of data exchanged between subsystems in said one or more of said plurality of nodes.

18. The system according to claim 14, wherein said one or more circuits enable determination of activity in said one or more of said plurality of nodes based on data processed or waiting to be processed in said one or more of said plurality of nodes.

19. The system according to claim 14, wherein said one or more circuits comprise one or more energy management entities and activity in said one or more of said plurality of nodes is determined via information exchanged with said one or more energy management entities.

20. The system according to claim 14, wherein said one or more circuits enable control of said computational capabilities by one or more of:

enabling and/or disabling one or more portions of said one or more of said plurality of nodes;

placing one or more portions of said one or more of said plurality of nodes into a lower or higher power consumption state; and

adjusting a frequency of one or more clock signals in said one or more of said plurality of node.

21. The system according to claim 14, wherein said one or more circuits enable determination of activity in said one or more of said plurality of nodes based on one or more computing tasks delegated to said one or more of said plurality of nodes.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein said one or more circuits enable transmission of said one or more computing tasks and information for performing said one or more computing tasks to said one or more of said plurality of nodes, wherein said information enables determining said activity in said one or more of said plurality of nodes.

23. The system according to claim 14, wherein said one or more circuits enable control of power consumption in said network based on whether power over Ethernet is available on one or more links of said network.

24. The system according to claim 14, wherein one or more of said plurality of network nodes operate as power supplying equipment and one or more of said plurality of nodes operate as powered equipment.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein said one or more circuits enable control of said power provided by said power supplying equipment based on said data processing activity in said powered equipment.

26. The system according to claim 24, wherein said one or more circuits enable allocation of available power from said power supplying equipment amongst said one or more of said plurality of nodes operating as said powered devices.