SDPoE

SDPoE, short for Software-Defined PoE (Software-Defined Power over Ethernet), is a concept in network engineering that envisions managing and orchestrating PoE-enabled devices through a software-defined control plane. Proponents describe it as enabling centralized policy, programmable power delivery, and finer-grained control of power budgets for endpoints such as IP cameras, wireless access points, and VoIP phones.

In SDPoE, a centralized controller communicates with network devices via southbound protocols and exposes northbound APIs to applications. Key ideas include centralized power budgeting per port, dynamic power allocation, priority-based power delivery, and runtime reconfiguration without physical changes. The approach applies software-defined networking principles to electrical power delivery in Ethernet networks.

Architecture commonly comprises three layers: the data plane (PoE-capable switches and edge devices that actually supply power and forward traffic), the control plane (the SDPoE controller that makes decisions about power and policies), and the management/applications layer (tools and services that implement business logic and monitoring).

Applications and benefits include improved utilization of PoE budgets, automated device provisioning, energy savings, and easier scale-out of deployments. SDPoE can support quality of service by enforcing power-aware provisioning for critical devices and enabling rapid changes in response to network conditions.

Limitations and challenges include a lack of universal standards, interoperability concerns across vendors, potential single points of failure in the control plane, cybersecurity risks from centralized control, and the need for robust telemetry and fault handling. See also: Power over Ethernet, software-defined networking.