Explicit over-power notification and power-based throttle eligible bits, path selection, and selective discard actions

Abstract

Described herein are devices, systems, methods, and processes for managing power congestion in multi-path routing systems. Indications may be similar to the ECN, and may be used in network headers, including headers for IPv6, SRv6, NSH, or other tunneling protocols. The indications, namely EOPN, PTE, and ECMP-exclude, can provide a mechanism for managing network power consumption and controlling ECMP routing based on flow priority and characteristics. The power budget can be dynamically adjusted based on the current power source mix, which may help to achieve sustainability goals. Hashing optimizations and signaling can be utilized to manage network power congestion and bandwidth-normalized power efficiency availability. A process may be implemented to ensure there is sufficient capacity to serve the expected traffic for different next-hop paths. Additionally, the ECN can be used to quickly react to congestion, bring capacity back online, and maintain optimal network performance, even in the absence of congestion.