Patent ID: 8276010

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: an interface configured to communicate with at least one associated power consuming device; and a module in communication with the at least one interface, the module comprising data representative of a power policy, the power policy specifying a constraint on power consumption; wherein the module is operable to receive power consumption data from the at least one associated power consuming device via the at least one interface and control an amount of power consumed by the at least one power consuming device; wherein the module is further operable to limit an amount of bandwidth to the at least one associated power consuming device responsive to the power consuming device not conforming to the constraint on power consumption; wherein the module is a cluster node of network elements arranged in a functional hierarchical manner comprising a top network element communicating with an associated management station to receive the power policy from the associated management station, and first and second subtending network elements communicating respectively with first and second associated power consuming client devices; and, wherein the cluster node is operable to operate in a collaborative cluster power management mode where power management policies are communicated by the top network element to the first and second subtending network elements wherein the top network element and the first and second subtending network elements are configured to negotiate and collaboratively share responsibility for executing the power management policies relative to the respective first and second associated power consuming client devices.