Advancing Network Sustainability - Challenges and Solution Approaches

#Climate #communications #networks #internet

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.