Route Determination Using Virtual Link Power Cost Estimation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional route calculation systems in networks face issues such as increased prospective power consumption and inadequate definition of allowable network usage levels for ensuring End-to-End quality of flows, particularly due to fluctuating link power consumption and unclear traffic constraints.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that utilize virtual links with different power consumption characteristics to estimate link power consumption increases and set constraint conditions for ensuring end-to-end quality, determining routes with the smallest sum of link costs while satisfying quality requirements for both new and existing flows.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a route is selected based on conventional link costs to balance traffic volume, then traffic distribution is improved, but prospective power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter used for route selection from traffic volume to power consumption characteristics. By introducing virtual links with different power consumption characteristics and calculating link costs based on prospective power consumption changes, the system selects routes that minimize energy loss while maintaining traffic distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary calculation of prospective power consumption changes before route selection. By estimating how power consumption will change when a new flow is added to each link, the system can proactively choose routes that avoid future energy increases, rather than reacting to current traffic conditions alone.
2Adaptability or versatility
If constraint conditions are not clearly defined for network usage, then route flexibility is improved, but End-to-End quality cannot be ensured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic constraint conditions that adapt to the specific flow being routed. Instead of fixed traffic constraints, the system dynamically calculates allowable network usage levels based on the flow's bandwidth requirements and the current state of network links, ensuring End-to-End quality while maintaining route flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses virtual links as intermediaries between physical network links and route selection. These virtual links incorporate power consumption characteristics and quality constraints, acting as a mediator that translates physical network properties into routing decisions that satisfy both flexibility and reliability requirements.
3Productivity
If link costs are calculated based on current traffic volume, then traffic balancing is improved, but prospective power consumption changes are not accounted for
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary calculation of prospective power consumption changes before route selection. By estimating how power consumption will change when a new flow is added to each link, the system can proactively choose routes that minimize future energy increases, rather than reacting to current traffic conditions alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter used for link cost calculation from current traffic volume to prospective power consumption change. This parameter transformation allows the system to account for future energy implications of routing decisions, improving measurement precision regarding power consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for determining a route including: a collector that collects a current amount of link traffic and current link power consumption of each link; a virtual link setter that sets virtual links for each link; a link cost calculator that calculates a link cost of each virtual link based on the estimated increase in the link power consumption; a constraint condition setter that creates a constraint condition satisfying a requirement of end-to-end quality of a request flow based on change in quality of each virtual link and satisfying a requirement of end-to-end quality of an existing flow based on the change in quality of the existing flow on the virtual link; a route determinator that determines a route having a smallest sum of the link costs including a plurality of the virtual links satisfying the created constraint condition.