Optimized energy aware resource allocation algorithm using software defined network technology

Abstract

The number of data centers (DCs) used for storing and processing data has evolved rapidly in recent years. However, the operations held by DCs may relate to a number of disadvantages, primarily presuming in excessive energy and power consumption due to the poor management standards applied. This may lead to a situation in which many devices within the DC operate at full capacity without any tasks assigned for actual execution. A Software Defined Network (SDN) is a network architecture where the control plane is an independent entity from the data plane, yielding to a higher controllability and flexibility over the network. Through the utilization of SDN architecture, a highly functional energy aware network may be established. In this paper, we propose a heuristic algorithm that monitors the current status of an SDN network (in addition to all ingoing and outgoing traffic), in order to dynamically and efficiently allocate network resources by ensuring that only the necessary network devices are active and by turning the idle ones off. The results show that the proposed algorithm reduces energy consumption of the network compared to existing solutions.