Network Device Deep Standby Using Periodic Link Pulses
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Solution Overview
Problem
Network redundancy in modern networking systems leads to inefficiencies in standby device power consumption and heat generation, as standby devices must remain fully powered to maintain peer relationships and state data, duplicating power draw and impacting sustainability.
Innovation Solution
Network devices are configured with power-saving logic to enter a lower-power state by transmitting link pulses to neighboring devices, maintaining connections while reducing power consumption, and awakening based on received pulses or state data updates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If standby devices remain fully powered to maintain peer relationships and state data, then failover performance is ensured, but power consumption and heat generation are duplicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic link pulses instead of continuous full-power operation. The standby device transmits link pulses at predetermined intervals to maintain connection liveness detection, allowing it to enter deep lower-power states between pulses while still fulfilling its standby function. This periodic action resolves the contradiction by maintaining reliability through pulse-based communication while dramatically reducing power consumption compared to continuous full-power operation.
2Reliability
If standby devices maintain peer relationships and state data, then network redundancy is ensured, but heat generation increases
Solution Approach 1:
By using periodic link pulses instead of continuous full-power maintenance of peer relationships, the standby device can enter deep lower-power states that generate minimal heat. The connection is maintained through intermittent pulse transmission rather than continuous operation, resolving the contradiction between ensuring network redundancy and minimizing heat generation.
3Use of energy by moving object
If standby devices enter deep lower-power states, then power consumption is reduced, but connection maintenance becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces link pulses as an intermediary mechanism that enables connection maintenance in deep lower-power states. These pulses serve as a minimal communication overhead that allows the standby device to detect connection liveness and maintain its standby role without requiring full operational power. This intermediary approach resolves the contradiction by enabling connection maintenance through simplified pulse-based communication rather than full-functional operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The periodic transmission of link pulses maintains connection awareness while allowing the device to remain in deep lower-power states between pulses. This periodic communication mechanism resolves the contradiction by providing just enough interaction to maintain connection reliability without requiring continuous full-power operation.
Data Source
AI summary
Devices, systems, methods, and processes for facilitating power savings by entering a lower-power state. Often, the lower-power state is able to power down more components than is typical but relying on a physical connection between the various network devices to retain the connection. This connection can be via a PHY connection in accordance with the OSI model. Additional components on the device can be powered down while avoiding the destruction of connections to neighboring network devices. In this configuration, the device in the lower-power state can wake and resume operations in a suitable timeframe. Often, this can be configured as a high-availability pair that can have one device active and another in deep standby to provide a failover configuration that utilizes less power than would otherwise be utilized in a traditional system. This can be expanded to devices that communicate wirelessly, but have a physical connection to a shared device.