Network traffic based power consumption estimation of information technology systems

1. A method of estimating power consumption of one or more network connected devices configured within an information technology (IT) architecture, the method comprising:

monitoring, with a computing device, network events occurring within the IT architecture over a defined time period;

correlating the monitored network events with predetermined power profile operating point data associated with the one or more network connected devices, wherein the power profile operating point data is based on possible network event occurrences within the IT architecture; and

based on the correlating, generating an estimated energy usage of the one or more network connected devices for the defined time period, such that the estimated energy usage is based on direct monitoring of the network events and inference of processing loads of the one or more network connected devices without monitoring of power usage data of the one or more network connected devices.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network events include one of more of: network traffic data, network traffic record or Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) events.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating the predetermined power profile operating point data and inputting the power profile operating point data into a database to be accessed during the correlating.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the generating the predetermined power profile operating point data further comprises determining, for each specific machine type in the IT architecture, operation points for at least two states of operation that are possible, based on network event occurrences.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the operation points for at least two states of operation comprise power data for a machine idle state of operation and a maximum load state of operation.

6. A non-transitory computer storage medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computer, implement a method of estimating power consumption of one or more network connected devices configured within an information technology (IT) architecture, wherein the method comprises:

monitoring network events occurring within the IT architecture over a defined time period;

correlating the monitored network events with predetermined power profile operating point data associated with the one or more network connected devices, wherein the power profile operating point data is based on possible network event occurrences within the IT architecture; and

based on the correlating, generating an estimated energy usage of the one or more network connected devices for the defined time period, such that the estimated energy usage is based on direct monitoring of the network events and inference of processing loads of the one or more network connected devices without direct monitoring of power usage data of the one or more network connected devices.

7. The computer storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the network events include one of more of: network traffic data, network traffic records or Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) events.

8. The computer storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises generating the predetermined power profile operating point data and inputting the power profile operating point data into a database to be accessed during the correlating.

9. The computer storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the generating the predetermined power profile operating point data further comprises determining, for each specific machine type in the IT architecture, operation points for at least two states of operation that are possible, based on network event occurrences.

10. The computer storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the operation points for at least two states of operation comprise power data for a machine idle state of operation and a maximum load state of operation.

11. A system for estimating power consumption of one or more network connected devices configured within an information technology (IT) architecture, comprising:

an IT event monitoring system configured within the IT architecture that monitors network events occurring within the IT architecture over a defined time period; and

a management station within the IT architecture, the management station configured to correlate the monitored network events with predetermined power profile operating point data associated with the one or more network connected devices, wherein the power profile operating point data is based on possible network event occurrences within the IT architecture; and

wherein the management station is configured to generate, based on the correlating, an estimated energy usage of the one or more network connected devices for the defined time period, such that the estimated energy usage is based on direct monitoring of the network events and inference of processing loads of the one or more network connected devices without direct monitoring of power usage data of the one or more network connected devices.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the network events include one of more of: network traffic data, network traffic record or Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) events.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the predetermined power profile operating point data and the power profile operating point data are inputs into a database to be accessed during the correlating.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the predetermined power profile operating point data further comprises, for each specific machine type in the IT architecture, operation points for at least two states of operation that are possible, based on network event occurrences.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the operation points for at least two states of operation comprise power data for a machine idle state of operation and a maximum load state of operation.