Power saving in regular interconnection networks

Abstract

The high level of computing power required for some applications can only be achieved by multiprocessor systems. These systems consist of several processors that communicate by means of an interconnection network. The huge increase both in size and complexity of high-end multiprocessor systems has triggered up their power consumption. Complex cooling systems are needed, which, in turn, increases power consumption. Power consumption reduction techniques are being applied everywhere in computer systems and the interconnection network is not an exception, as its contribution is not negligible. In this paper, we propose a mechanism to reduce interconnect power consumption that combines two alternative techniques: (i) dynamically switching on and off network links as a function of traffic (any link can be switched off, provided that network connectivity is guaranteed), (ii) dynamically reducing the available network bandwidth when traffic becomes low. In both cases, the topology of the network is not modified. Therefore, the same routing algorithm can be used regardless of the power saving actions taken, thus simplifying router design. Our simulation results show that the network power consumption can be greatly reduced, at the expense of some increase in latency. However, the achieved power reduction is always higher than the latency penalty.