Network-driven, packet context-aware power management for client-server architecture

A server system including an enhanced Network Interface Controller (NIC) within a client-server architecture is provided. The server system includes a memory for storing data from one or more network packets and one or more processors for processing network requests based on the one or more network packets. The enhanced NIC is configured to receive the one or more network packets and transfer the data from the one or more network packets to the memory. During a latency period defined from the time required to transfer the network packet to memory, the enhanced NIC performs a Network-driven, packet Context Aware Power (NCAP) management process in order to actively transition a power management state of the one or more processors to a predicted level. In this manner, computational and energy efficiency of the server system is improved.