Dynamic performance management

Abstract

A dynamic power management technique to optimize the performance to a pre-defined power or temperature limit. A computing system may comprise a performance management unit that may reconfigure the performance parameters, dynamically, based on the pre-defined power or temperature limit. Such an approach may provide performance enhancements as the power consumed by various components of the computing system may be reduced.

1 . A network device comprising:
 a processor, and   a performance management unit to, dynamically, reconfigure a rate at which data is transferred between the network device and a partner device coupled to the network device, wherein the rate is decreased if the rate is not equal to a power down value and if an actual power consumed by the network device is greater than a maximum limit, wherein the rate is reconfigured to limit temperature of the network device to be within a pre-specified temperature limit for the network device.   
     
     
         2 . The network device of  claim 1  further includes a plurality of thermal sensors to sense the temperature of the network device. 
     
     
         3 . The network device of  claim 1 , wherein the performance management unit to increase the rate if the actual power consumed by the network device is less than the maximum limit and if the rate is less than the power down value. 
     
     
         4 . The network device of  claim 3 , wherein the power management unit to, initially, negotiate the rate at which the data is to be transferred between the network device and the partner device. 
     
     
         5 . The network device of  claim 4 , wherein the power management unit to wait for a time period after negotiation of the rate is complete. 
     
     
         6 . The network device of  claim 1 , wherein the power management unit to check if the rate is equal to the power down value after decreasing the rate and then negotiate the rate with the partner device if the rate is not equal to the power down value. 
     
     
         7 . The network device of  claim 1 , wherein power management unit to set the rate to a maximum rate supported by the network device during initialization before negotiating the rate with the partner device. 
     
     
         8 . The network device of  claim 7 , wherein the power management unit to set a maximum partner rate of the partner device to the maximum rate during initialization before negotiating the rate with the partner device. 
     
     
         9 . The network device of  claim 8 , wherein the power management unit to update the maximum partner rate after the negotiation is completed successfully between the network device and the partner device. 
     
     
         10 . The network device of  claim 9 , wherein the power management unit to determine a maximum link rate as equal to a lowest common denominator between the maximum rate and the maximum partner rate. 
     
     
         11 . The network device of  claim 9 , wherein the maximum link rate is a maximum data transfer rate supported by a link provided between the network device and the partner device.