Network Traffic Scheduling for Energy Efficient Ethernet
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Ethernet-based systems face high power consumption due to continuous clock synchronization during idle periods and increased hardware complexity with higher transmission speeds, leading to inefficiencies in energy usage, especially in low-traffic scenarios where current Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) standards are not adequately effective.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method that schedules packet transmission based on a timer expiration, congestion threshold, high-priority packet identification, and burst accumulation, allowing for efficient transmission in bursts rather than sporadically, thereby reducing power consumption and improving transmission efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by stationary object
If Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) standards are implemented to reduce power consumption during idle periods, then power consumption is reduced, but transmission efficiency deteriorates due to wake-up and sleep-down periods
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by accumulating packets in a buffer before transmission. The traffic scheduler monitors packet arrival patterns and pre-prepares packet bursts for transmission, so when the EEE interface wakes up from idle state, packets are already ready to be transmitted immediately, eliminating the wake-up delay and improving transmission efficiency while maintaining power savings.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic action by scheduling packet transmissions in optimized bursts rather than continuous or sporadic individual transmissions. The traffic scheduler creates periodic transmission opportunities aligned with EEE wake-up cycles, transmitting accumulated packet bursts at optimal intervals. This reduces the frequency of wake-up/sleep transitions while ensuring timely delivery, thereby improving transmission efficiency without sacrificing power consumption benefits.
2Reliability
If packets are transmitted sporadically in legacy Ethernet systems, then individual packet delivery is ensured, but transmission efficiency deteriorates due to frequent wake-up and sleep-down periods
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies merging by combining multiple individual packets into accumulated bursts for transmission. Instead of transmitting packets sporadically one by one, the traffic scheduler groups accumulated packets into bursts and transmits them together in single EEE wake-up events. This merging approach maintains reliable packet delivery while dramatically reducing the number of wake-up/sleep transitions, thereby improving transmission efficiency.
3Speed
If Ethernet transmission channels remain active to ensure immediate packet transmission, then transmission responsiveness is improved, but power consumption increases due to continuous clock synchronization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-accumulating packets in buffers before EEE wake-up events. The traffic scheduler continuously monitors incoming packets and prepares them for transmission in advance, so when the Ethernet interface wakes up from idle state, packets are already staged and ready for immediate transmission. This eliminates the responsiveness delay that would otherwise occur after wake-up, maintaining high transmission speed while allowing the interface to enter low-power states during idle periods.
Data Source
AI summary
A method implemented in a network for enhancing transmission is disclosed. The network contains a number of network devices, and at least one network device provides traffic scheduling function to schedule transmission of packets. The method starts with arrival of a packet. In response to arrival of the packet, the network device determines whether a timer has expired, whether a congestion level has reached a congestion threshold, whether the packet is a high priority packet, and whether a burst accumulation counter has reached an accumulation threshold. The packet is transmitted, along with any packet waiting for transmission, in response to at least one of the conditions are satisfied: the timer has expired, the congestion level has reached the congestion threshold, the packet is a high priority packet, and the burst accumulation counter has reached the accumulation threshold.