NIC Team Power Management via Dynamic Load Balancing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current network interface controller (NIC) teaming technologies consume excessive power, especially during low network traffic, as all team members remain in high-powered states even when not in use, leading to inefficiencies and potential environmental impact.

Innovation Solution

Implementing logic within the information handling system to dynamically direct network traffic load to a subset of NICs based on traffic levels, allowing underutilized NICs to transition to low-power states during light traffic, thereby conserving energy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If all NIC team members are kept in high-powered states, then fault tolerance and link aggregation are maintained, but power consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefault toleranceVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic power management by allowing NIC team members to transition between active and low-power states based on real-time traffic conditions. The load balancer dynamically selects which NICs remain active and directs traffic accordingly, enabling the system to adapt its power consumption to actual workload requirements while maintaining fault tolerance capabilities when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Use of energy by moving object

If NIC team members are switched to low-powered states during light traffic, then power savings are achieved, but fault tolerance capability is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidfault tolerance

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by allowing different NICs within the same team to have different operational states simultaneously. Some NICs can be in low-power states while others remain active, enabling the system to optimize power consumption for individual components based on their current utilization while maintaining overall system reliability through the presence of active standby NICs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of operation

If equal preference is given to all team members, then load balancing is simplified, but power efficiency is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveload balancingVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The load balancing mechanism transitions from static equal-preference distribution to dynamic preference assignment. The system continuously monitors traffic patterns and NIC utilization, then dynamically adjusts which NICs receive traffic preferences. This dynamic approach maintains operational simplicity while dramatically improving power efficiency by concentrating traffic on fewer active NICs during low-utilization periods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS7907528B2Managing power consumption in a NIC team

Publication Date: 2011.03.15 DELL PROD LP

AI summary

The present disclosure provides an information handling system which includes a team of network interface controllers (NIC), each controller operable to receive network traffic load. The system also includes logic configured to direct the network traffic load to at least one NIC in the team based on the network traffic load. The present disclosure may result in overall power savings for system.