Method and network units for handling states

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016011648-A1
Application number	US-201314768372-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 18, 2013
Priority date	Feb 18, 2013
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The embodiments herein relate to a method in a first network unit ( 101 ) for handling states in a network ( 100 ). The first network unit ( 101 ) is adapted to supervise power in the network ( 100 ). The first network unit ( 101 ) receives a work-load report from one or more of a plurality of second network units ( 105 ). The second network units ( 105 ) consume power. When the second network units ( 105 ) are awake and the workload is below a threshold, the first network unit ( 101 ) transmits a sleep request to at least one of the second network units ( 105 ) to change from awake to sleep. When the plurality of second network units ( 105 ) are asleep and the workload has reached or is above the threshold, the first network unit ( 101 ) transmits a wakeup request to at least one of the second network units ( 105 ) to change from sleep to awake.

First claim

1 . A method in a first network unit for handling states in a communications network, which first network unit is adapted to supervise power in the communications network, the method comprising:
receiving a respective report from one or more of a plurality of second network units, which second network units consume power in the communications network and which respective report comprises information indicating workload of the one or more of the plurality of second network units in the communications network; when one or more of the plurality of second network units are in an awake state and when the workload is below a threshold, transmitting a sleep request to at least one of the one or more of the plurality of second network units to change the state from awake to sleep; and when one or more of the plurality of second network units are in the sleep state and when the workload has reached or is above the threshold, transmitting a wakeup request to at least one of the one or more of the plurality of second network units to change the state from sleep to awake.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a sleep response from the at least one of the one or more of the plurality of second network units, which response comprises information indicating that the state has been changed from awake to sleep.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising
receiving a wakeup response from the at least one of the one or more of the plurality of second network units comprising information indicating that it has changed the state from sleep to awake.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting a workload request to one or more of the plurality of second network units and wherein the report is received as a response to the workload request.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
setting up a connection between the first network unit and each of the plurality of second network units.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the report is received regularly.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sleep request comprises information indicating a time at which the change of state shall occur and a duration of the sleep state.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sleep request comprises information indicating that the at least one of the one or more of the plurality of second network units should handle the sleep request with a low priority.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the wakeup request comprising information indicating that the at least one of the one or more of the plurality of second network units should handle the wakeup request with a high priority.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sleep request is transmitted to the at least one of the one or more of the plurality of second network units into account a future incoming workload to one or more of the plurality of second network units.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the information indicating workload comprises information indicating at least one of memory capacity of the one or more of the plurality of second network units and computing resources of the one or more of the plurality of second network units and a duration of sleep state of the one or more of the second network units and quality of service associated with the one or more of the plurality of second network units.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first network unit and the second network units are co-located in one network node.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first network unit is located in one network node and wherein each of the second network units are located in respective other network nodes.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second network units are virtual machines in a virtualized environment.

15 . A method in a second network unit for handling states in a communications network, which second network unit consumes power in the communications network, the method comprising:
transmitting a report to a first network unit, which first network unit is adapted to supervise power in the communications network and which report comprises information indicating workload of the second network unit; when the second network unit is in an awake state and when the workload is below a threshold, receiving a sleep request from the first network unit to change the state from awake to sleep; changing the state from awake to sleep based on the sleep request; when the second network unit is in the sleep state and when the workload has reached or is above the threshold, receiving a wakeup request from the first network unit to change the state from sleep to awake; and changing the state from sleep to awake based on the wakeup request.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
when the state should be changed from awake to sleep, executing a session resilience procedure by moving service data from the second network unit to at least one other second network unit in the communications network whose state shall remain awake.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
executing the session resilience procedure by moving the service data from the at least one other second network unit to the second network unit when the state should be changed from sleep to awake.

18 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising
transmitting a wakeup response to the first network unit comprising information indicating that the second network unit has changed the state from sleep to awake.

19 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
receiving a workload request from the first network unit; and wherein the report is transmitted as a response to the workload request.

20 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
transmitting a sleep response to the first network unit, which response comprises information indicating that the state has been changed from awake to sleep.

21 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
setting up a connection between the first network unit and the second network unit.

22 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the report is transmitted regularly.

23 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the sleep request comprises information indicating that the second network unit should handle the sleep request with a low priority.

24 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the wakeup request comprising information indicating that the second network unit should handle the wakeup request with a high priority.

25 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the sleep request comprises information indicating a time at which the change of state shall occur and a duration of the sleep state.

26 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the information indicating workload comprises information indicating at least one of memory capacity of the second network unit and computing resources of the second network unit and a duration of sleep state of the second network unit and quality of service associated with the second network unit.

27 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first network unit and the second network units are co-located in one network node.

28 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first network unit is located in one network node and wherein the second network unit is located in another network node.

29 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the second network unit is a virtual machine in a virtualized environm

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M
• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Zhang Jiangtao
• Johansson Bengt
• Olsson Lasse
• Pettersson Sten

Classifications

• H04L43/065

  related to network devices · CPC title

• H04L43/16

  Threshold monitoring · CPC title

• G06F1/3287 Primary

  by switching off individual functional units in the computer system · CPC title

• H04L43/0817 Primary

  by checking functioning · CPC title

• Y02D30/50

  in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate · CPC title