Energy Efficient Ethernet Sleep Interval Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ethernet networks face challenges in managing energy efficiency, particularly in limiting sleep intervals to conserve battery life in portable devices while maintaining latency requirements for various data streams, which existing technologies have not adequately addressed.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for managing end-to-end sleep limitations in energy efficient Ethernet networks, where network devices determine and communicate time limits for sleep intervals based on latency requirements and data types, using protocols like SNMP, AVB, and SRP, to optimize energy savings without exceeding latency constraints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If network devices enter sleep mode to save energy, then energy efficiency is improved, but latency requirements may be violated
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts sleep interval durations based on real-time network conditions and latency requirements. Network devices transition between active and sleep states adaptively, with sleep durations optimized according to current traffic patterns and service level agreements, rather than using fixed sleep intervals
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments network traffic into different categories based on latency sensitivity. Different sleep strategies are applied to different traffic types, allowing energy-saving sleep modes for non-time-critical traffic while maintaining active states for latency-sensitive streams, thus resolving the contradiction between energy efficiency and latency requirements
2Loss of energy
If sleep interval duration is extended to maximize energy savings, then energy efficiency is improved, but end-to-end latency may exceed requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where network devices monitor actual latency performance and energy savings achieved from sleep intervals. Based on this feedback, the system adjusts future sleep interval durations to optimize the trade-off between energy savings and latency compliance, ensuring that extended sleep periods do not cause end-to-end latency to exceed requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of sleep interval duration dynamically based on network conditions, traffic types, and latency requirements. By adjusting this parameter rather than using a fixed value, the system can extend sleep intervals for energy savings when latency allows, while reducing sleep duration when latency requirements demand faster response times
Data Source
AI summary
A time limit may be determined for energy efficient networking (EEN) sleep intervals based on end-to-end sleep interval limitations. The time limit may be communicated to other network devices which may limit their sleep time. End-to-end sleep interval limitation information may be received via a user input, packet header information, a standardized and/or non-standardized network management protocol, AVB, SRP, RSVP and SNMP. The EEN sleep interval time limit may be determined based on a number of hops between endpoint devices. Packets may be inspected to determine a packet data type and/or end-to-end sleep interval limitation information. The time limit may be determined based on latency requirements of data streams. A time limit for a port may be determined based on sleep time limits for data streams communicated via the port. The time limits may be statically and/or dynamically configured. The network device may be configured via a network management interface.