Carbon Aware Protocol for fault tolerant network

Abstract

The increasing energy consumption of information and communication technologies has raised significant environmental concerns, particularly regarding carbon emissions associated with network infrastructure. This research proposes a novel Carbon Aware Routing Protocol for Delay Tolerant Networks (CARP-DTN) that routes data through paths with lower carbon intensity while maintaining acceptable performance level adjustments. The protocol integrates real-time carbon intensity data from electricity grids with network performance metrics to make environmentally friendly routing decisions. By leveraging the inherent tolerance for delay in certain types of networks, CARP-DTN achieves substantial carbon emission reductions without compromising network reliability. The proposed solution implements a modified A* algorithm that considers three specific parameters: carbon intensity, latency, and reliability. Experimental results demonstrate that CARP-DTN can reduce carbon emissions by 5-20% compared to traditional shortest-path routing algorithms, while maintaining acceptable quality of service for delay-tolerant applications. This research contributes towards green computing initiatives and provides a practical networking routing framework for reducing the carbon footprint of digital infrastructure.