Advancing Network Sustainability – Challenges and Solution Approaches

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Title: Advancing Network Sustainability – Challenges and Solution Approaches
Reducing humankind’s carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions to
slow climate change is one of humanity’s Grand Challenges. Communication
networks play a key role in addressing that challenge, enabling
applications that reduce the need for physical travel as well as
solutions that optimize efficiency of resource and energy usage.
Examples range from teleworking to remote operations, from smarter
agriculture to more energy-efficient factory floors. However, for all
their benefits, networks also have a significant environmental footprint
themselves that collectively rivals that of entire countries. It is thus
becoming important to make networks themselves "greener" and devise
solutions that allow networks to be operated in ways that make them more
sustainable while continuing to meet increasing traffic demands and
service requirements.
Many of today’s network sustainability improvements relate to general
advances in energy efficiency of computing hardware as well as in
transmission technology (antennas, lasers). While this is where arguably
the biggest opportunities lie, the question arises regarding the role
that other layers in the networking stack can play in advancing network
sustainability. For example, can data planes be designed in ways that
make them inherently more energy-efficient? What protocol advances might
enable greener networking solutions? How can networks be optimized not
just for QoS or utilization but for carbon and what novel tools are
needed to operate networks more sustainably? How can we even properly
account for energy usage and other sustainability parameters to be
optimized? In which ways can network programmability, faster control
loops, and AI- or intent-based networking help?
This presentation will provide a brief introduction into network
sustainability and discuss some of the key challenges that solutions
need to address. A number of solution approaches will be presented and
opportunities for further research and engagement on this topic pointed
out. The presentation will draw on some of the activities that are
currently taking place in the IETF and the Internet Architecture Board's
E-Impact program.
Bio: Dr. Alexander Clemm is a recognized expert in network management
technology and networking software in which he has been involved
throughout his career. His most recent activities have been in the
areas of sustainable networking, future networking services,
intent-based networking, service assurance, and telemetry. After 7+
years as a Distinguished Engineer at Futurewei and prior to that 18
years at Cisco, he recently decided to pursue an academic sabbatical and
embark on new adventures. Alex has for many years been regularly
serving on the committees of IEEE conferences, including NOMS/IM and
NetSoft as a member of the steering committee and on several occasions
as general co-chair or TPC co-chair. He is the recipient of the 2020
Salah Aidarous Award given by IEEE CNOM and IFIP TC6.6 to "an individual
who has provided unremitting service and dedication to the IT and
Telecommunications Network Operations and Management community". Alex
has an extensive publication record including 70+ papers, 70+ patents,
and 15 RFCs. He holds an M.S. degree from Stanford University and a
Ph.D. from the University of Munich, Germany, both in Computer Science.
Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/423149