A semantic enhanced Power Budget Calculator for distributed computing using IEEE 802.3az

Abstract

Energy efficiency is becoming an important requirement in more and more computing systems for optimizing resource allocation and task scheduling. By switching active copper Ethernet links to a low power model the IEEE 802.3az protocol can reduce the network energy consumption when no traffic exists. However, the effect of 802.3az heavily depends on network traffic patterns, which makes its utilization challenging in scheduling computing tasks. In this research, we examined the 802.3az technology with the goal of deploying it in distributed computing systems such as clusters. We devised an energy budget calculator that includes the energy model of 802.3az compliant Ethernet devices and supports the resource management service. We show a few practical examples of how applications can better plan their execution by integrating this knowledge in their decision strategies. We also present a solution for enhancing the calculator by using a semantic energy information system.