Remote computer wake-up for network applications

• US 20070067445A1
• Filed: 05/24/2006
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Smart Link Limited
• Original Assignee: Smart Link Limited
• Inventors: Bartal, Ronen, Vugenfirer, Yan, Koifman, Gil
• Application Number:
  US11/439,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20070067445A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4418 Suspend and resume; Hibernate and awake
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/133 Protocols for remote procedure calls [RPC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70

Abstract

A method for computer-based communication includes storing at a first computer records of correspondence between application-specific identifiers used in a network application and network addresses of computers on a network that are respectively associated with the application-specific identifiers. A second computer is powered down after storing at the first computer a record of the correspondence between an application-specific identifier and a network address associated with the second computer. If it is determined, while the second computer is powered down, that a message is to be directed by the network application to the application-specific identifier associated with the second computer, a wake-up packet is sent over the network to the network address specified by the record, so as to cause the second computer to power up and respond to the message.

Claims

1. A method for computer-based communication, comprising:

storing at a first computer records of correspondence between application-specific identifiers used in a network application and network addresses of computers on a network that are respectively associated with the application-specific identifiers;

powering down a second computer after storing at the first computer a record of the correspondence between an application-specific identifier and a network address associated with the second computer;

determining, while the second computer is powered down, that a message is to be directed by the network application to the application-specific identifier associated with the second computer; and

sending a wake-up packet over the network to the network address specified by the record, so as to cause the second computer to power up and respond to the message.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network application comprises an Internet telephony application.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network application comprises at least one of an instant messaging application, an e-mail application, a news application, and a video delivery application.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network comprises the Internet.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second computers are not located on a common local area network (LAN).

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein sending the wake-up packet comprises inserting in the wake-up packet a specific data pattern to which the second computer is configured to respond.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein storing the record comprises storing an indication of the specific data pattern.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the specific data pattern comprises a physical address of the second computer.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the specific data pattern is contained in the message to be directed by the network application.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein storing the records comprises recording respective power states of the computers, and wherein sending the wake-up packet comprises determining that the wake-up packet should be sent responsively to an indication in the record that the second computer is powered down.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein determining that the message is to be directed comprises intercepting at an intermediary computer messages directed by the network to the application-specific identifier.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein intercepting the messages comprises sending packets from the intermediary computer to a server associated with the network application so as to cause the server to send the messages to the intermediary computer while the second computer is powered down.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the intermediary computer is configured to serve as a proxy for the second computer.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the intermediary computer comprises a wake-up server, which stores the records and sends the wake-up packet.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second computer is connected to the network via a local area network (LAN) together with a third computer, and wherein the third computer is configured to receive packets directed to the network address indicated by the record, and wherein sending the wake-up packet comprises prompting the third computer to send the wake-up packet to the second computer.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the records associates multiple network addresses with one of the application-specific identifiers.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least two of the records associate different, respective application-specific identifiers with a single, common network address.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein storing the records comprises storing an access control list identifying sources of the message that are permitted to cause the second computer to power up.

19. A method for computer-based communication, comprising:

storing at a first computer records of correspondence between network addresses of computers on a network and power states of the computers;

powering down a second computer while storing at the first computer a record indicating that the second computer has powered down;

determining, while the second computer is powered down, that a message is to be directed by a network application to the second computer; and

responsively to the record, sending a wake-up packet to the second computer, so as to cause the second computer to power up and respond to the message.

20. Apparatus for computer-based communication, comprising:

a memory, which is configured to store records of correspondence between application-specific identifiers used in a network application and network addresses of computers on a network that are respectively associated with the application-specific identifiers; and

a wake-up processor, which is arranged to receive, via the network, and to store in the memory a record of the correspondence between an application-specific identifier and a network address associated with a given computer, and to determine, while the given computer is powered down, that a message is to be directed by the network application to the application-specific identifier associated with the given computer, and to send a wake-up packet over the network to the network address specified by the record, so as to cause the given computer to power up and respond to the message.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the network application comprises an Internet telephony application.

22. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the network application comprises at least one of an instant messaging application, an e-mail application, a news application, and a video delivery application.

23. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the network comprises the Internet.

24. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the wake-up processor and the given computer are not located on a common local area network (LAN).

25. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the wake-up processor is operative to insert in the wake-up packet a specific data pattern to which the given computer is configured to respond.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the record in the memory comprises an indication of the specific data pattern.

27. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the specific data pattern comprises a physical address of the second computer.

28. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the specific data pattern is contained in the message to be directed by the network application.

29. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the records comprise an indication of respective power states of the computers, and wherein the wake-up processor is adapted to determine that the wake-up packet should be sent responsively to an indication in the record that the given computer is powered down.

30. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the wake-up processor is operative to intercept messages directed by the network to the application-specific identifier.

31. The apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the wake-up processor is operative to send packets to a server associated with the network application so as to cause the server to send the messages to the intermediary computer while the given computer is powered down.

32. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the wake-up processor is configured to serve as a proxy for the given computer.

33. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the given computer is connected to the network via a local area network (LAN) together with a peer computer, and wherein the wake-up processor is directed by the record to send the wake-up packet to the peer computer, so as to cause the peer computer to relay the wake-up packet to the second computer.

34. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein at least one of the records associates multiple network addresses with one of the application-specific identifiers.

35. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein at least two of the records associate different, respective application-specific identifiers with a single, common network address.

36. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the wake-up processor is adapted to maintain an access control list identifying sources of the message that are permitted to cause the given computer to power up, and to send the wake-up packet responsively to the access control list.

37. Apparatus for computer-based communication, comprising:

a memory, which is configured to store records of correspondence between network addresses of computers on a network and power states of the computers; and

a wake-up processor, which is arranged to receive, via the network, and to store in the memory a record indicating that a given computer is powered down, and to determine, while the given computer is powered down, that a message is to be directed by a network application to the second computer, and responsively to the record, to send a wake-up packet to the given computer, so as to cause the given computer to power up and respond to the message.