Method and apparatus for automatically loading device status information into a network device

• US 6,678,728 B1
• Filed: 12/03/1999
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: 3Com Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Davis, Eric, Herrera, Alexander, Henderson, Nathaniel, Uppunda, Krishna, Wang, Chi-Lie
• Primary Examiner(s): Jean, Frantz B.
• Application Number:
  US09/454,783
• Time in Patent Office: 1,502 Days
• Field of Search: 709/222, 709/220, 709/221, 710/104, 710/8, 710/10
• US Class Current: 709/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A method and apparatus for automatically loading device status information into a network device. One embodiment comprises an apparatus in a network device, wherein the network device enters a sleep state under particular conditions. In one embodiment, the apparatus is for communicating with other devices on the network and comprises control circuitry that controls communication between the network device and the other devices on the network. The apparatus further comprises a memory device that stores configuration data for the control circuitry, wherein at least a portion of the configuration data is loaded into the control circuitry upon initialization of the network device. The apparatus further comprises a buffer that stores keep-alive data that is transmitted to a plurality of the other devices in the network to refresh the presence of the network device in the network, wherein the keep-alive data is loaded into the buffer from the memory device upon initialization of the network device.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a network device coupled to a network, comprising:

storing keep-alive data in a memory device;

loading the keep-alive data in a buffer upon initialization of the network device;

when the network device is in a sleep state, periodically transmitting the keep-alive data to at least one other device coupled to the network wherein the memory device also stores configuration data for control circuitry of the network device;

wherein the buffer comprises a transmit first-in-first-out (FIFO) buffer, and wherein loading the keep-alive data in the buffer upon initialization of the network device comprises;

reading a first address of the memory;

if contents of the first address comprise a command to load the transmit FIFO reading a next address of the memory, wherein the command to load the transmit FIFO comprises an indication of how many data elements are to be loaded;

writing the contents of the next address to the FIFO, wherein the contents of the next address comprise a data element;

reading a subsequent address in the memory; and

if contents of the subsequent address comprise a data element, writing the contents of the subsequent address to the FIFO.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein loading the keep-alive in the buffer upon initialization of the network device further, if the contents of the subsequent address comprise an initialization done command, ceasing to write contents of addresses of the memory.