System and method for managing network devices that deliver an application service using energy savings information
View Patent ↗A system and method for energy efficient Ethernet (EEE) enhanced information technology power management tools. EEE-based computing center resources are designed to monitor energy savings events hardware components (e.g., physical layer device) included within the computing center resource. Energy saving statistics based on such monitoring can be provided to a power management tool. This monitoring information enables the power management tool to make broad service-level energy savings decisions on actual network activity. In addition, feedback based on the broad service-level energy savings decisions can be provided to the EEE-based computing center resources for consideration by their individual EEE control policies.
1. A method in a data center, said data center including a plurality of server devices, said plurality of server devices being used to provide an application service by said data center, comprising:
receiving, by a network management station in said data center from a first of said plurality of server devices, first energy savings information for a first physical layer device in said first of said plurality of server devices, said first physical layer device being coupled to a first media access control device in said first of said plurality of server devices, said first physical layer device also being coupled to a second physical layer device in a first link partner device via a first network cable, said first energy savings information being generated by said first of said plurality of server devices based upon use by said first physical layer device of an energy savings state in response to a low traffic utilization condition detected by said first of said plurality of server devices;
receiving, by said network management station from a second of said plurality of server devices, second energy savings information for a third physical layer device in said second of said plurality of server devices, said third physical layer device being coupled to a second media access control device in said second of said plurality of server devices, said third physical layer device also being coupled to a fourth physical layer device in a second link partner device via a second network cable, said second energy savings information being generated by said second of said plurality of server devices based upon use by said third physical layer device of an energy savings state in response to a low traffic utilization condition detected by said second of said plurality of server devices;
determining, by said network management station, a level of utilization of said application services delivered by said data center based on said first and second received energy savings information from said first of said plurality of server devices and said second of said plurality of server devices; and
switching off one of said plurality of server devices used to deliver said application service based on said determination.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said receiving comprises receiving statistics of entry by said first physical layer device into an energy savings state.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said switching comprises switching off one of said first of said plurality of server devices and said second of said plurality of server device.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said determining is performed by a power management application run on said network management station.
5. A method in a data center, said data center including a plurality of server devices, said plurality of server devices being used to provide an application service by said data center, comprising:
receiving, by a network management station in said data center from a first of said plurality of server devices, first energy savings information for a first hardware subsystem in said first of said plurality of server devices, said first energy savings information being generated by said first of said plurality of server devices based upon use by said first hardware subsystem of an energy savings state in response to a low traffic utilization condition detected by said first of said plurality of server devices in monitoring an absence of traffic that is to be transmitted by a first physical layer device in said first of said plurality of server devices to a second physical layer device in a first link partner device, said first physical layer device and said second physical layer device being coupled by a network cable;
receiving, by said network management station from a second of said plurality of server devices, second energy savings information for a second hardware subsystem in said second of said plurality of server devices, said second energy savings information being generated by said second of said plurality of server devices based upon use by said second hardware subsystem of an energy savings state in response to a low traffic utilization condition detected by said second of said plurality of server devices in monitoring an absence of traffic that is to be transmitted by a third physical layer device in said second of said plurality of server devices to a fourth physical layer device in a second link partner device, said third physical layer device and said fourth physical layer device being coupled by a network cable;
determining, by said network management station, a level of utilization of said application service delivered by said data center based on said first and second received energy savings information from said first of said plurality of server devices and said second of said plurality of server devices; and
switching off one of said plurality of server devices used to deliver said application service based on said determination.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said energy savings information is network port information.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein said energy savings information is chip information.
8. The method of claim 5 , wherein said energy savings information is circuit board information.
9. The method of claim 5 , wherein said energy savings information is server system information.
10. The method of claim 5 , wherein said energy savings information is server rack information.
11. The method of claim 5 , wherein said receiving comprises receiving statistics of entry into an energy savings state.
12. The method of claim 5 , wherein said switching comprises switching off one of said first of said plurality of server devices and said second of said plurality of server devices.
13. A method for managing an energy efficient control policy in a plurality of server devices in a data center, said plurality of server devices being used to provide an application service by said data center, comprising:
receiving, by a network management station in said data center from a first of said plurality of server devices, first energy savings information for a first hardware subsystem in said first of said plurality of server devices, said first energy savings information being generated by said first of said plurality of server devices based upon use by said first hardware subsystem of an energy savings state in response to a low traffic utilization condition detected by said first of said plurality of server devices in monitoring an absence of traffic that is to be transmitted by a first physical layer device in said first of said plurality of server devices to a second physical layer device in a first link partner device, said first physical layer device and said second physical layer device being coupled by a network cable;
receiving, by said network management station from a second of said plurality of server devices, second energy savings information for a second hardware subsystem in said second of said plurality of server devices, said second energy savings information being generated by said second of said plurality of server devices based upon use by said second hardware subsystem of an energy savings state in response to a low traffic utilization condition detected by said second of said plurality of server devices in monitoring an absence of traffic that is to be transmitted by a third physical layer device in said second of said plurality of server devices to a fourth physical layer device in a second link partner device, said third physical layer device and said fourth physical layer device being couple by a network cable;
determining, by said network management station using said first and second energy savings information, a level of utilization of said application service; and
modifying an energy efficient control policy in said first of said plurality of server devices based on said determination, wherein said energy efficient control policy controls an entry by said first hardware subsystem into said energy saving state.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said receiving comprises receiving power saving statistics, said power saving statistics including an amount of time a hardware subsystem remained in an energy savings state during a measurement interval.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein said modifying comprises changing a level of aggressiveness of said energy efficient control policy in said first of said plurality of server devices.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein said energy savings information is network port information.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein said energy savings information is chip information.
18. The method of claim 13 , wherein said energy savings information is circuit board information.
19. The method of claim 13 , wherein said energy savings information is server system information.
20. The method of claim 13 , wherein said energy savings information is server rack information.