Dynamic Power Usage Management Based on Historical Traffic Pattern Data for Network Devices

Abstract

Particular embodiments provide power usage management for network devices according to historical traffic pattern data. Network traffic statistics for traffic flowing through a network device may be determined. A traffic pattern for a time period based on the traffic flowing through the network device is then determined. The network device may then manage power based on the pattern. For example, when a pattern indicates that traffic flowing through the network device is light during a time period, then the network device may operate in a lower power mode, such as a standby mode and when it indicates that there is higher usage, the network device may operate in a normal power mode. In one embodiment, a power usage policy may be determined based on the historical traffic patterns and is automatically enforced by the network device. The power usage policy may also be dynamically adjusted over time based on network traffic statistics.

1 . A method comprising:
 creating, using a Network Management Station (NMS), a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) context, an associated SNMP context name and an associated SNMP view, the NMS being coupled to a plurality of network devices in the network;   specifying, using the NMS and the SNMP context name, a network configuration and an order of the network devices, wherein the specified order comprises an order in which SNMP SET commands are executed on the network devices;   acquiring, using the NMS, an exclusive lock mechanism on the network configuration, wherein the exclusive lock mechanism prevents other network configuration changes while the exclusive lock mechanism is acquired;   issuing, using the NMS, the SNMP SET commands in the specified order such that the network configuration is validated by all of the network devices in the specified order and using the SNMP context name;   in response to validation of the specified network configuration by all of the network devices, pushing, from the NMS and in the specified order, the network configuration to each of the network devices, wherein the pushing begins after a set time has elapsed, wherein the set time is greater than a time taken for pushing the network configuration across all of the network devices;   performing, using the NMS and the SNMP context name, an SNMP WALK on all of the network devices to verify the implementation of the network configuration, wherein the SNMP WALK is performed within the time taken for pushing the network configuration across all of the network devices; and   based on the verification of the implementation of the network configuration, destroying, using the NMS, the SNMP context.