NETWORK PRESENCE OFFLOADS TO NETWORK INTERFACE

• US 20100174808A1
• Filed: 01/07/2009
• Published: 07/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Venkataramaiah, Narasimhan A., Nagampalli, Narasimha Rao S.S., Malysh, Alexander, Dabagh, Alireza, Combs, Robert C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,104,406 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A computing device that has a network interface that performs a subset of possible networking functions while the computing device is in a sleep mode. The subset of functions may be simply implemented on the network interface, yet to substantially reduce the frequency with which the computing device has to wake up to perform networking functions. The subset of functions may be selected to maintain a network presence of the computing device while the device is in sleep mode, and may include responding to requests for MAC information, sending keep-alive messages or exchanging security information that, in accordance with network protocols, has a limited lifetime that would otherwise expire while the computing device is in sleep mode.

Claims

1. A method of operating a computing device connected to a network, the computing device operable in a first power state and a lower power state, the method comprising:

receiving from a network interface information on capabilities of a network presence offload component in the network interface;

configuring the network presence offload component based on the information on the capabilities of the network presence offload component;

when the computing device transitions to the lower power state;

enabling the network presence offload component of the network interface; and

in response to a message received over the network, providing with the network presence offload component a reply over the network, the reply being based on the configuring.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving from the network interface information on the capabilities of the network presence offload component in the network interface and configuring the network presence offload component comprise communicating with the network interface through a driver according to a Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the network presence offload component comprises configuring the network presence offload component to send at a defined rate keep-alive packets using a Teredo protocol to maintain a connection of the computing device to the network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the network presence offload component comprises configuring the network presence offload component upon initialization of the network interface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the network presence offload component comprises one component of a plurality of network presence offload components;

receiving from the network interface information on the capabilities of the network presence offload component in the network interface comprises receiving information on the plurality of network presence offload components;

configuring the network presence offload component comprises configuring the plurality of network presence offload components; and

the receiving and the configuring are performed via a plurality of interfaces in the computing device, wherein the plurality of interfaces comprise an interface used to configure the network presence offload component to maintain a network connection of the computing device using a network protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

configuring the network presence offload component comprises configuring the network presence offload component to perform a set of network presence offload functions, a network presence offload function in the set of network presence offload functions being performed in response to a message in a set of messages being received over the network; and

the method further comprises waking up the computing device in response to a detected message that is not within the set of messages.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the set of messages comprises at least one of an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) request, a Neighbor Discovery Protocol (NDP) Neighbor Solicitation (NS) request, an IPv4 Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echo request, and an IPv6 Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echo request.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the information on a network presence offload function comprises receiving information identifying at least the set of network presence offload functions.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising disabling the at least one network presence offload component of the network interface when the computing device exits the low power state.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the subset of network presence offload functions comprises a subset of wireless network presence offload functions for maintaining a wireless connection to the computing device in the low power state, the subset of wireless network presence offload functions performing:

in response to an authentication request, providing a response in accordance with a handshake protocol using at least one encryption key;

when the at least one encryption key changes to at least one another encryption key, renegotiating the at least one another encryption key to maintain the wireless connection; and

providing information on the wireless connection to the computing device when the computing device exits the low power state.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the subset of messages consists essentially of

an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) request, a Neighbor Discovery Protocol (NDP) Neighbor Solicitation (NS) request, an IPv4 Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echo request, and an IPv6 Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echo request, wherein a response to the ARP request comprises a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the apparatus, a response to the NDP NS request comprises the Media Access Control (MAC) address of the apparatus, a response to the IPv4 ICMP echo request comprises an IPv4 ICMP echo reply, and a response to the IPv6 ICMP echo request comprises an IPv6 ICMP echo reply.

11. An apparatus adapted for use in a computing device in which a wake-up signal initiates a transition from a lower power state to a higher power state, the apparatus comprising:

circuitry for interfacing to a network;

circuitry for detecting network messages for processing by the apparatus;

at least one network presence offload component coupled to the circuitry for detecting network messages, the at least one network presence offload component being adapted to respond to a subset of messages for processing by the apparatus, and the at least one network presence offload component generating a response to a message in the subset; and

a component for asserting the wake-up signal in response to a detected message that is not within the subset.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the subset of messages comprises at least one of an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) request, a Neighbor Discovery Protocol (NDP) Neighbor Solicitation (NS) request, and an Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echo request.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the network presence offload component is further adapted to;

receive and store configuration information for configuring the network presence offload component; and

respond to a subset of messages for processing by the apparatus based on the configuration information; and

the apparatus further comprises a component adapted to enable the network presence offload component when the apparatus transitions to a low power state.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the apparatus further comprises a component adapted to disable the network presence offload component when the apparatus exits the low power state.

16. A computing device, comprising:

a network interface comprising a network presence offload component;

a computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed on a computing device connected to a network perform a method comprising;

receiving from the network interface information on at least one network presence offload component in the network interface; and

providing, via at least one interface, a command to the network interface to configure the network presence offload component based on the information on the network presence offload component,

wherein the network interface is configured to;

when the computing device transitions to a low power state, enable the network presence offload component of the network interface; and

in response to a message received over the network, provide with the network presence offload component a reply over the network, the reply being based on the configuring.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein providing, via the at least one interface, the command to the network interface to configure the network presence offload component comprises providing, via the at least one interface, a command to the network interface to configure the network presence offload component to send at a defined rate keep-alive packets using a Teredo protocol to maintain a connection of the computing device to the network.

18. The computing device of claim 16, the network interface is further configured to, when the computing device exist the low power state, disable the network presence offload component.

19. The computing device of claim 16, providing, via the at least one interface, the command to the network interface to configure the network presence offload component comprises providing, via the at least one interface, a command to the network interface to configure the network presence offload component to, in response to messages received over the network, provide a defined number of replies over the network, the replies being based on the configuring.

20. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the message comprises at least one an IPv4 Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) request, an IPv6 Neighbor Discovery Protocol (NDP) Neighbor Solicitation (NS) request, an IPv4 Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echo request, and an IPv6 Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echo request.