How to Create Smarter Networks: Increase Performance and Savings Using Cisco's Smart Power Frameworkand Reduced Power Mode

Traditionally, networks have been designed to operate continuously, running 24/7, 365 days a year.

In today's hyper-connected world, the rapid growth of AI and increasing data demands are straining both power availability and budgets, making it important to rethink traditional network operations. To transition from always-on to always-ready, customers seek network infrastructures that can transparently activate when needed, rather than keeping all components constantly powered and running, even without active data traffic.

Cisco's Smart Power Framework

Cisco is taking the lead to create a unified energy management experience integrating power monitoring, energy policy, and partner ecosystem interoperability -Cisco's Smart Power Framework. This extensible, scalable and simple solution will give Cisco customers access to data-driven decision-making to configure and make policy changes that can help to reduce energy consumption and gain savings.

Precision automation and regulation through Cisco's Smart Power Framework protocols enable efficient command and control of energy usage. Integrating devices, events, and systems is essential today for orchestrating energy management policies effectively. With a standardized approach, Cisco Smart Power Framework delivers a simplified user experience, predictable energy savings, and streamlined network management, and creates a path for an industry-wide standards approach.

Cisco's Smart Power Framework operates in three key phases:

1. Detectand logically group devices capable of utilizing Cisco Smart Power Framework for energy managementusinglegacy communication protocols CDP and UDP (creates a smart power protocol);
2. Authenticateusing pre-shared keys provisioned by centralized gateways to communicate energy policies; and
3. Communicate and Controlusing the smart power protocol to implement programmed power levels, ranging from (10) Fully Operational to (0) Non-Operational, and manage power features to be activated or deactivated at specific levels based on a scheduled time of day, week, month, or year.
   • Power Level 10:Out-of-the-Boxshipping mode, or fully operational as the default, provides no energy savings to customers
   • Power Level 9:Performance Modewhere a platform powers down non-essential functions that do not significantly impact the service-level agreement (SLA), such as turning off port light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on Cisco switches. This enables customers to achieve energy savings without any noticeable performance impact.
   • Power Level 8:Reduced Power Modeincludes a configurable set of energy-saving features that have minimal, non-zero SLA impact-to avoid affecting high-priority flows or administrative interface access. Example features may include Auto-Off lining of switch power supplies, Auto-off optics and enabling Energy Efficient Ethernet based on real-time demand.
   • Power Level 3-7 are user-configurable modes.
   • Power Level 0-2 are features that enable deep sleep,hibernationand power off.

First Delivery Using Cisco Smart Power Framework

With the first implementation, Cisco is revolutionizing energy management and operations with the Cisco C9350 Smart Switch and Cisco Desk Phone 9800 Series. With simple, smart power integration, the C9350 Smart Switch and Desk Phone 9800 Series will securely communicate to agree on power levels and policies, enabling both operational and cost savings. This is a future where the network adapts to your needs, not the other way around?.

Through Cisco's Engineering Alliances, we are collaborating with Smart Building solution partners MHT and ThinLabs to provide seamless interoperability between Cisco Switches and their IT/OT endpoints, delivering an enhanced Future-Proofed Workplace experience for our customers. Customers will be able to create smart power profiles to manage and apply power policies in alignment with compatible endpoints or independently at switchports. ?

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For too long, we've assumed that networking equipment must be power-hungry. However, just like smartphones dim their screens to save battery, networking gear can intelligently manage energy usage.Cisco's Smart Power Framework using Reduced Power modeisn't about limiting your network -it is about making your networksmarterand moreenergy-efficient.