IP Library › Granted Patent US 12681549
Granted Patent B2
US 12681549 · App. 18/608,344 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

AI-driven elastic network to reduce energy consumption

Inventors: Jean-Philippe Vasseur (Combloux, FR); Grégory Mermoud (Venthône, CH); Pierre-André Savalle (Rueil-Malmaison, FR); Eduard Schornig (Haarlem, NL)
Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
G06F1/3203G06F1/3287
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12681549
App. No.
18/608,344
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

In one implementation, a device maintains a digital twin of a computer network. The device determines, based on the digital twin, an action to reduce energy consumption by the computer network. The device validates the action using the digital to ensure that performance of the action in the computer network will result in the computer network still satisfying one or more performance constraints. The device causes performance of the action in the computer network, when the action is deemed valid.

Claims (50)

1 . A method comprising:

maintaining, by a device, a digital twin of a computer network;

determining, by the device and based on the digital twin, an action to reduce energy consumption by the computer network;

validating, by the device, the action using the digital twin to ensure that performance of the action in the computer network will result in the computer network still satisfying one or more performance constraints, wherein the one or more performance constraints include a threshold service level agreement (SLA) that defines a template which includes application requirements for one or more paths or a user experience metric for an application accessed via the computer network; and

causing, by the device, performance of the action in the computer network, when the action is deemed valid;

wherein the action comprises shutting down an interface on a switch in the computer network or routing traffic in the computer network via a different path.

2 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein causing performance of the action in the computer network comprises:

sending, by the device, an instruction to a controller for the computer network to perform the action.

3 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the digital twin comprises an ontology that represents entities in the computer network and their relationships.

4 . The method as in claim 1 , further comprising:

providing, by the device and based in part on the action, an indication of energy savings in the computer network for display.

5 . The method as in claim 1 , further comprising:

causing, by the device, the action to be reversed in the computer network, when the computer network does not satisfy the one or more performance constraints.

6 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the digital twin comprises path metrics obtained from the computer network.

7 . The method as in claim 6 , wherein at least a portion of the path metrics are obtained from the computer network via an OpenTelemetry collector.

8 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein determining the action to reduce energy consumption by the computer network comprises:

identifying, by the device and based on the digital twin, a redundant path or over-provisioned entity in the computer network.

9 . The method as in claim 1 , further comprising:

querying, by the device, one or more controllers of the computer network to test whether the action is possible; and

adjusting, by the device, the action when querying one or more controllers of the computer network indicates the action is not possible.

10 . The method as in claim 1 , further comprising:

monitoring, by the device, quality of experience (QoE) telemetry; and

causing, by the device, the action to be reversed in the computer network, when the QoE telemetry indicates the computer network does not satisfy the one or more performance constraints.

11 . An apparatus, comprising:

one or more network interfaces;

a processor coupled to the one or more network interfaces and configured to execute one or more processes; and

a memory configured to store a process that is executable by the processor, the process when executed configured to:

maintain a digital twin of a computer network;

determine, based on the digital twin, an action to reduce energy consumption by the computer network;

validate the action using the digital twin to ensure that performance of the action in the computer network will result in the computer network still satisfying one or more performance constraints, wherein the one or more performance constraints include a threshold service level agreement (SLA) that defines a template which includes application requirements for one or more paths or a user experience metric for an application accessed via the computer network; and

cause performance of the action in the computer network, when the action is deemed valid;

wherein the action comprises shutting down an interface on a switch in the computer network or routing traffic in the computer network via a different path.

12 . The apparatus as in claim 11 , wherein the apparatus causes performance of the action in the computer network by:

sending an instruction to a controller for the computer network to perform the action.

13 . The apparatus as in claim 11 , wherein the digital twin comprises an ontology that represents entities in the computer network and their relationships.

14 . The apparatus as in claim 11 , wherein the process when executed is further configured to:

provide, based in part on the action, an indication of energy savings in the computer network for display.

15 . The apparatus as in claim 11 , wherein the process when executed is further configured to:

cause the action to be reversed in the computer network, when the computer network does not satisfy the one or more performance constraints.

16 . The apparatus as in claim 11 , wherein the digital twin comprises path metrics obtained from the computer network.

17 . The apparatus as in claim 16 , wherein at least a portion of the path metrics are obtained from the computer network via an OpenTelemetry collector.

18 . A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing program instructions that cause a device to execute a process comprising:

maintaining, by the device, a digital twin of a computer network;

determining, by the device and based on the digital twin, an action to reduce energy consumption by the computer network;

validating, by the device, the action using the digital twin to ensure that performance of the action in the computer network will result in the computer network still satisfying one or more performance constraints, wherein the one or more performance constraints include a threshold service level agreement (SLA) that defines a template which includes application requirements for one or more paths or a user experience metric for an application accessed via the computer network; and

causing, by the device, performance of the action in the computer network, when the action is deemed valid;

wherein the action comprises shutting down an interface on a switch in the computer network or routing traffic in the computer network via a different path.

19 . The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the digital twin comprises an ontology that represents entities in the computer network and their relationships.

20 . The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein determining the action to reduce energy consumption by the computer network comprises:

identifying, by the device and based on the digital twin, a redundant path or over-provisioned entity in the computer network.