Greening the Network with the Power Consumption Statuses of Network Components

• US 20130031244A1
• Filed: 02/14/2012
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Aldrin, Sam K., Lee, Young, Zhang, Mingui, Dong, Jie
• Granted Patent: US 9,231,852 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/12 Shortest path evaluation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/124 using a combination of metrics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/302 Route determination based on requested QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/42 Centralised routing

Abstract

In an embodiment, the disclosure includes an apparatus comprising a data store which comprises cost data associated with use of a path in a communications network. The data store also comprises power consumption data associated with the use of the path. The apparatus further comprises at least one processor configured to determine a score for the path based on the cost data and the power consumption data. The disclosure also includes an apparatus comprising a path computation element (PCE) configured to receive data from a plurality of network elements (NEs). The data comprises cost and power consumption data for establishing a path between a plurality of the NEs. The PCE is configured to determine a score for the path based on the cost and power consumption data.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a data store comprising cost data associated with use of a path in a communications network, and power consumption data associated with the use of the path; and

at least one processor configured to determine a score for the path based on the cost data and the power consumption data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus determines a score for the path based on the cost data and the power consumption data by multiplying the cost data associated with the use of the path by a first constant, multiplying the power consumption data associated with the use of the path by a second constant, and adding the results.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first constant, the second constant, or both are selected by a user.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the communications network comprises one or more background flows passing through a plurality of network elements, and wherein the cost data associated with the use of the path is determined by adding together the routing cost for each data flow for every network element said data flow passes through and the routing cost of a new data flow over each network element in the path.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to receive a path selection request.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the data store and the processor are configured to store cost and power consumption data for a plurality of paths and determine a score for each path based on the cost data and power consumption data.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to select the path with the lowest network state score.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to remove all data paths from consideration that have a score exceeding a given threshold.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cost data for the logical links along the path is determined using an Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP), and wherein the IGP is Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) or Intermediate System to Intermediate System (IS-IS).

10. An apparatus comprising:

a path computation element (PCE) configured to receive data from a plurality of network elements (NEs),

wherein the data comprises a cost for establishing a path between a plurality of the NEs;

wherein the data further comprises power consumption data for establishing the path between the NEs; and

wherein the PCE is configured to determine a score for the path based on the cost and power consumption data.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein power consumption data for establishing the path between the NEs comprises the power consumption data of an NE over discrete percentage ranges of the NEs data traffic load capacity.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein power consumption data for establishing the path between the NEs comprises the power consumption data of an NE in idle and hibernation modes.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the network data traffic loads are represented as the C-State and the corresponding power consumption data are represented as the P-State.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the P-state is about zero when the C-State indicates hibernation, wherein the P-State is over a half of maximum when the C-State indicates idle, wherein the P-State is approximately constant over each of a plurality of C-State ranges, and wherein the P-State is about maximum over a C-State range extending from about half of maximum C-State to about maximum C-State.

15. A method comprising:

obtaining cost data for a plurality of paths in a communications network;

obtaining power consumption data for the paths; and

determining one or more scores for the paths based on the cost data and the power consumption data.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising selecting a path for new data traffic based on the path scores.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein determining one or more scores for the paths based on the cost data and power consumption data comprises determining a single score for a plurality of paths using data for existing data traffic in a present network usage state.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining scores for alternate network usage states.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising rerouting existing data traffic if a score for an alternate network usage state is lower than the score for present network usage state.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein existing data traffic is rerouted to allow a Network Element (NE) to be placed in hibernate mode.