Method and mechanism for cataloguing information on devices in a computing system

• US 7,509,509 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2006
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kulczar, David, Saenz, Leonel III, Doan, Christopher Hoang, Tran, Thanh K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rehman; Mohammed H
• Application Number:
  US11/352,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20070204072A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information

Abstract

In a computing network containing multiple computing devices, a network card in a computing device provides the ability for the computing device to transmit specific types of information while the computing device is in an inactive state. The network card contains processing capabilities that enable it to detect and receive an inquiry directed to that device, process the inquiry, retrieve the requested data which is stored in the network card and transmit that information to the requestor. The ability of the network card to perform this enables system administrators to perform certain system maintenance functions while a computer may be in a power off or hibernate state instead if having to power on the computing device.

Claims

1. A method for a computing device connected to a computing network to communicate over a computer network when said computing device is in a hibernate or power off state comprising the steps of:

detecting a hibernate or power off state of the computing device;

activating a network communication component of said computing device in response to the detection of a hibernate or power off state of the computing device;

monitoring a computer network interface for inquires transmitted to the computing device;

detecting a network inquiry at the computing device, the inquiry being transmitted over the computer network;

identifying a target computing device of the detected network inquiry by identifying a unique byte code for each computing device connected to the computer network;

identifying the inquiry sender and determining whether the sender of the inquiry has the right to send an inquiry or communicate with the computing device;

when the determination is that the sender is a valid sender, retrieving information requested in the inquiry;

transmitting the retrieved information over the computer network to a source of the inquiry;

determining of whether the computing device is still in a hibernate or power off state; and

returning to a monitoring activity of said monitoring step when the determination is that the computer device is still in a hibernate or power off state.