Separately powered network interface for reporting the activity states of a network connected client

• US 6,532,497 B1
• Filed: 04/14/1998
• Issued: 03/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kilmer, Gregory William, Cromer, Daryl Carvis, Locker, Howard, Kern, Eric R., Springfield, Randall Scott, Ward, James Peter, Ellison, Brandon Jon
• Primary Examiner(s): CALDWELL, ANDREW T
• Application Number:
  US09/060,280
• Time in Patent Office: 1,792 Days
• Field of Search: 709/250, 709/224, 709/300, 709/318, 714/4, 714/48, 710/15, 710/17-19, 713/300, 370/463, 375/219-220, 375/222
• US Class Current: 709/250
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

An intelligent network interface monitors activity states of a client and reports them to a network manager using a single network connection. The network interface monitors interrupts occurring on the client, derives activity states from the interrupts, and logs the activity states on the network interface. An activity state specifies whether the client is in a hung state, but may also specify whether the client is off, sleeping, inactive, or active. The network interface may periodically report the activity states to the network manager or report upon receiving a command. The network interface is preferably powered full time using a trickle power supply and therefore operates even when the remainder of the client is off. By including a processor or specialized logic on the network interface, the interface operates independently of the client operating system and therefore monitors and reports even when the client malfunctions.

Claims

1. A client system for a network, such system including a CPU being controlled by an operating system and having a single specialized network connection for sending and receiving data over a network in a particular packet format and adapted to run the operating system during normal operation, said client system comprising:

monitoring logic interposed between said CPU controlled by said operating system and said single specialized network connection for monitoring interrupts occurring on the client system and logging activity states derived from said interrupts;

packet logic separate from the CPU and, independent of the operating system for accessing the logged activity states and preparing packets including the logged activity states in the packet format and for transmitting such packets over the single specialized network connection;

request logic separate from the CPU and, independent of the operating system, for receiving a command at said single specialized network connection and responsively triggering the packet logic to transmit a packet including the logged activity states; and

a power supply which is adapted to energize the monitoring logic, the packet logic and the single specialized network connection whereby the logged interrupt information is retained and available for transmission at any time, wherein an activity state can specify whether the client is in a hung state.

2. A client system for a network, such system including a CPU being controlled by an operating system and having a single specialized network connection for sending and receiving data over a network in a particular packet format and adapted to run the operating system during normal operation, said client system comprising:

monitoring logic interposed between said CPU controlled by said operating system and said single specialized network connection for monitoring interrupts occurring on the client system and logging activity states derived from said interrupts;

packet logic separate from the CPU and, independent of the operating system for accessing the logged activity states and preparing packets including the logged activity states in the packet format and for transmitting such packets over the single specialized network connection in response to a trigger signal;

request logic separate from the CPU and, independent of the operating system, for receiving a command at said single specialized network connection and responsively applying a trigger signal to the packet logic to transmit a packet including the logged activity states; and

a power supply which is adapted to energize the monitoring logic, the packet logic and the single specialized network connection, irrespective of the energization of other portions of the client system whereby the logged interrupt information is retained and available for transmission at any time, wherein an activity state can specify whether the client is in a hung state.

3. A client system according to claim 2 wherein the single specialized network connection is an Ethernet connection having a physical layer and the packet logic applies the packets to the physical layer.

4. A client system for a network, such system including a CPU being controlled by an operating system and having a single specialized network connection for sending and receiving data over a network in a particular packet format and adapted to run an operating system during normal operation, said client system comprising:

monitoring logic interposed between said CPU controlled by said operating system and said single specialized network connection for monitoring interrupts occurring on the client system and logging activity states derived from said interrupts;

packet logic separate from the CPU and, independent of the operating system for accessing the logged activity states and preparing packets including the logged activity states in the packet format and for transmitting such packets over the single specialized network connection when triggered to do so;

request logic separate from the CPU and, independent of the operating system, for intermittently triggering the packet logic to transmit a packet including the logged activity states; and

a power supply which is adapted to energize the monitoring logic, the packet logic and the single specialized network connection, irrespective of the energization of other portions of the client system whereby the logged interrupt information is retained and available for transmission at any time, wherein the activity state can specify whether the client is in a hung state.

5. A client system according to claim 4 wherein the single specialized network connection is an Ethernet connection having a physical layer and the packet logic applies the packets to the physical layer.

6. A method in a client computer system for notifying a server computer system of a current one of a plurality of activity states of said client computer system, said client computer system being coupled to said server computer system utilizing a single network connection, said method further comprising the steps of:

monitoring interrupts within said client computer system utilizing a processor included within a network adapter included within said client computer system, said network adapter interposed between said client computer system and said single network connection, said network adapter and said processor functioning independently of a functionality of said client computer system wherein said network adapter and said processor function while said client computer system is either malfunctioning or non-functioning;

determining a current activity state of said client computer system utilizing said monitored interrupts;

wherein the activity state can specify whether the client is in a hung state;

logging the current activity state within said network adapter; and

transmitting a packet indicating said current activity state utilizing said network adapter to said server computer system.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of said server computer system transmitting a packet to said client computer system in response to a receipt of said packet transmitted by said network adapter included in said client computer system, wherein said packet transmitted by said server is responsive to said current activity state of said client computer system indicated by said packet transmitted by said network adapter to said server computer system.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of transmitting said packet to said server computer system utilizing said network adapter while said client computer system is unattended.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

transmitted a request packet from said server computer system to said client computer system requesting said client computer system to transmit said current activity state of said client computer system; and

transmitting said packet indicating said current activity state utilizing said network adapter to said server computer system in response to a receipt of said request packet.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein said network conforms to an Ethernet specification.

11. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of said client computer system monitoring interrupts within said client computer system when an operating system to be executed by said client computer system is not functioning.

12. The method according to claim 6, wherein said step of transmitting a packet indicating said current activity state utilizing said network adapter to said server computer system further comprises the step of transmitting a packet indicating an off state utilizing said network adapter to said server computer system.

13. The method according to claim 6, wherein said step of transmitting a packet indicating said current activity state utilizing said network adapter to said server computer system further comprises the step of transmitting a packet indicating a sleep state utilizing said network adapter to said server computer system.

14. The method according to claim 6, wherein said step of transmitting a packet indicating said current activity state utilizing said network adapter to said server computer system further comprises the step of transmitting a packet indicating a hung state utilizing said network adapter to said server computer system.

15. The method according to claim 6, wherein said step of transmitting a packet indicating said current activity state utilizing said network adapter to said server computer system further comprises the step of transmitting a packet indicating an inactive state utilizing said network adapter to said server computer system.

16. The method according to claim 6, wherein said step of transmitting a packet indicating said current activity state utilizing said network adapter to said server computer system further comprises the step of transmitting a packet indicating an active state utilizing said network adapter to said server computer system.

17. A client computer system for notifying a server computer system of a current one of a plurality of activity states of said client computer system, said client computer system being coupled to said server computer system utilizing a single network connection, comprising:

a processor included within a network adapter included within said client computer system for monitoring interrupts within said client computer system, said network adapter interposed between said client computer system and said single network connection, said network adapter and said processor functioning independently of a functionality of said client computer system wherein said network adapter and said processor function while said client computer system is either malfunctioning or non-functioning;

said processor for determining a current activity state of said client computer system utilizing said monitored interrupts, wherein an activity state can specify whether the client is in a hung state, and logging the current activity state within said network adapter; and

said network adapter for transmitting a packet indicating said current activity state to said server computer system.

18. The client computer system according to claim 17, further comprising said server computer system for transmitting a packet to said client computer system in response to a receipt of said packet transmitted by said network adapter included in said client computer system, wherein said packet transmitted by said server is responsive to said current activity state of said client computer system indicated by said packet transmitted by said network adapter to said server computer system.

19. The client computer system according to claim 18, further comprising said network adapter for transmitting said packet to said server computer system while said client computer system is unattended.

20. The client computer system according to claim 18, further comprising:

said server computer system for transmitted a request packet from said server computer system to said client computer system requesting said client computer system to transmit said current activity state of said client computer system; and

said network adapter of said client computer system for transmitting said packet indicating said current activity state to said server computer system in response to a receipt of said request packet.

21. The client computer system according to claim 17, wherein said network conforms to an Ethernet specification.

22. The client computer system according to claim 17, further comprising said client computer system for monitoring interrupts within said client computer system when an operating system to be executed by said client computer system is not functioning.

23. The client computer system according to claim 17, wherein said network adapter for transmitting a packet indicating said current activity state to said server computer system further comprises said network adapter for transmitting a packet indicating an off state to said server computer system.

24. The client computer system according to claim 17, wherein said network adapter for transmitting a packet indicating said current activity state to said server computer system further comprises said network adapter for transmitting a packet indicating a sleep state to said server computer system.

25. The client computer system according to claim 17, wherein said network adapter for transmitting a packet indicating said current activity state to said server computer system further comprises said network adapter for transmitting a packet indicating a hung state to said server computer system.

26. The client computer system according to claim 17, wherein said network adapter for transmitting a packet indicating said current activity state to said server computer system further comprises said network adapter for transmitting a packet indicating an inactive state to said server computer system.

27. The client computer system according to claim 17, wherein said network adapter for transmitting a packet indicating said current activity state to said server computer system further comprises said network adapter for transmitting a packet indicating an active state to said server computer system.