Can Energy Efficient Ethernet be applied to optical links?

Network Architecture This newsletter is sponsored by Aerohive Networks A Cost-Effective WLAN Alternative Cooperative control access points provide all the benefits of a controller without the need to add controllers or rearchitect your network. Learn how they can be cost-effectively rolled out to support WLAN deployments and provide a seamless upgrade for legacy autonomous access points. Download this Whitepaper today. Network World's Network Architecture Newsletter, 10/09/07 Can Energy Efficient Ethernet be applied to optical links? By Jeff Caruso At last month's meeting of the IEEE study group exploring the possibilities of Energy Efficient Ethernet, the question of whether to define a standard for fiber optics came up. So far, the group has largely concentrated its efforts on copper-based connections. The ability to change speeds in copper-based Ethernet is well established, and reducing the data rate can reduce power consumption. The group has even been throwing around the term "0Base-T" to describe a state where the link speed is zero on a copper link. Is a fiber-optic equivalent possible or desirable? Onn Haran of PMC-Sierra raised that issue in a presentation posted on the study group's site, a slideshow that according to the minutes was presented by Brian Holden at the September meeting. Executive Guide: Stay ahead of the data growth curve Get real-world advice on how to best deal with the explosion of data across nearly every enterprise today. This informative executive guide offers IT professionals detailed information on new technologies such as ILM and FANs, specific pitfalls to avoid when deploying ILM, as well as solid case studies. Download This Executive Guide The presentation suggested that, while moving to slower speeds is usually not possible for optical components, the traffic could be paused for power savings. Transmit and receive functions can be turned off, eliminating power consumption by the transceiver, SERDES and MAC. Haran called the potential technique "zero-base-R." However, the presentation also noted that returning from zero-base-R to normal operation - in a wake-on-LAN kind of function - would not be desirable, "since a substantial number of receiver optical components must remain active during sleep." So, a predetermined sleep period would have to be specified instead. It appears that more study is needed to determine if and how power savings would be applied to fiber optics, but it is an interesting question.   What do you think? Post a comment on this newsletter

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Contact the author: Jeff Caruso is managing editor of online news for Network World. He oversees daily online news posting and newsletter editing, and writes the NetFlash daily news summary, the High-Speed LANs newsletter and the Voices of Networking newsletter. Contact him at jcaruso@nww.com This newsletter is sponsored by Aerohive Networks A Cost-Effective WLAN Alternative Cooperative control access points provide all the benefits of a controller without the need to add controllers or rearchitect your network. Learn how they can be cost-effectively rolled out to support WLAN deployments and provide a seamless upgrade for legacy autonomous access points. Download this Whitepaper today. ARCHIVE Archive of the Network Architecture Newsletter. BONUS FEATURE IT PRODUCT RESEARCH AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Get detailed information on thousands of products, conduct side-by-side comparisons and read product test and review results with Network World’s IT Buyer’s Guides. Find the best solution faster than ever with over 100 distinct categories across the security, storage, management, wireless, infrastructure and convergence markets. Click here for details. PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered to your inbox each day. Extend your knowledge with a print subscription to the Network World newsweekly, Apply here today. International subscribers, click here. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World newsletter, change your e-mail address or contact us, click here. This message was sent to: networking.world@gmail.com. Please use this address when modifying your subscription. Advertising information: Write to Associate Publisher Online Susan Cardoza Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 Copyright Network World, Inc., 2007